Jim Watts

DALLAS — Jonathan Frels, who has served in the Texas attorney general's office for the past two years, has rejoined Vinson & Elkins LLP as a partner in its public finance group. He will be based in Houston.

DALLAS — Voters in Texas' capital city could decide in November on an $84.8 million general obligation bond package for transportation projects if the Austin City Council adopts the program and schedule proposed by city manager Marc Ott.

The Louisiana Revenue Estimating Conference on Monday accepted a forecast by state economists that general fund revenue for fiscal 2010 would total $7.28 billion.

The St. Helena Parish School District has asked a federal court in Baton Rouge to impose a property tax on residents to support bonds that would help rebuild its aging schools.

DALLAS — Louisiana lawmakers sent a $26 billion operating budget to Gov. Bobby Jindal on Sunday night after the House reluctantly agreed to the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2011 spending plan.

Oklahoma’s general fund revenues in May were $378.7 million, some $27.5 million more than expected and $21.6 million more than in May 2009.

Proponents of an entertainment complex in downtown Wichita have temporarily postponed their quest for $13 million in Kansas state sales tax revenue bonds.

Maricopa County Unified School District No. 48 will renovate, upgrade, and add to its facilities if voters approve $118 million of five-year bonds in November.

Voters in Flagstaff could decide in November on $86.2 million of general obligation bonds for a capital improvement package recommended by the city’s staff.

Trustees of Maricopa County Community College District last week narrowly defeated a proposed 2% increase in the district’s property tax rate.

DALLAS — Louisiana will transfer at least $500 million into the general fund from its capital outlay escrow fund to pay its bills for fiscal 2010, which ends June 30.

DALLAS — The Louisiana State Bond Commission on Thursday selected an underwriting team for the planned sale of $500 million of fuel tax revenue bonds to finance a constitutionally mandated road and bridge construction program.

DALLAS — Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy yesterday said he supports the $20 billion oil-spill escrow plan announced by President Obama and BP executives to handle claims arising from the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of all the Gulf Coast states, Louisiana is the most at risk to credit pressures resulting from the BP oil spill, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report on Monday.

DALLAS — State economists told the Revenue Estimating Conference on Friday that Louisiana’s budget deficit for fiscal 2010 has ballooned by another $261.4 million from April’s revised lower estimate.

The Grand River Dam Authority intends to issue up to $200 million of revenue bonds this fall to finance new electric transmission infrastructure.

The Kansas Department of Commerce will begin taking applications on July 1 for statewide allocations of $46 million of recovery zone facility bond capacity and $31.5 million of recovery zone economic development bonds.

A special election will be held in Saline County on Aug. 10 to allow voters to decide on a two-part, 1% sales tax to finance $60 million of additions and improvements to the existing county fairgrounds.

Commissioners of Central Arkansas Water voted last week to sell $18.5 million of utility revenue bonds in two issues to finance new water transmission lines and to acquire land that will protect its long-term supply.

DALLAS — Louisiana Treasurer John N. Kennedy has urged Gov. Bobby Jindal to develop a financial contingency plan in case BP Corporation North America Inc. declares bankruptcy due to the enormous costs associated with its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.