Jim Watts

The fertilizer plan explosion that leveled part of West, Texas, in April could result in a downgrade of the town's credit.

The Louisiana Senate voted Monday to put a $113 million surplus from fiscal 2012 into the Medicaid program rather into the rainy day fund.

The Louisiana House unanimously rejected Senate amendments to its $25 billion state budget bill for fiscal 2014, creating a standoff that may require a special session to settle.

Austin Independent School District filed a petition with a Travis County state court to validate the district's recent $489 million bond referendum.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned a 99-day session after resolving disagreement over when to end a temporary sales tax.

Gov. Mike Beebe appointed former legislative auditor, Charles Robinson as state treasurer to serve the 15 months remaining in the term of former Treasurer Martha Shoffner.

University of Arizona wants to include almost $200 million of projects in a Pima County bond proposal.

A temporary 1% state sales tax approved by voters in 2010 expired June 1 as scheduled after the failure last year of an extension effort.

Twenty-nine technical training projects at two-year colleges in Louisiana will be funded with $251.6 million of state bonds that won final legislative approval Friday.

Two key state senators want Texas Gov. Rick Perry to open the special legislative session to another effort to boost highway funding.

El Paso City Council authorized up to $52.8 million of special revenue bonds for a minor league baseball stadium in downtown.

New Orleans may finance a riverfront tourist development with $92 million of revenue bonds.

The new baseball stadium in downtown El Paso will cost $10 million more than expected under a revised construction contract proposed by city officials last week.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin credited legislators for quick action in moving $45 million from the state's $577 million rainy day fund for emergency response expenses.

Kansas House rejected a Senate plan to extend a temporary sales tax rate despite pleas from Gov. Sam Brownback.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe will name a replacement soon for former Treasurer Martha Shoffner, who resigned after being arrested on a federal extortion charge.

Oklahoma lawmakers approved using their rainy day fund for recovery after a killer tornado, but a proposed $500 million state bond issue for school shelters will have to wait.

Louisiana will structure an $806 million refunding of tobacco settlement revenue bonds to provide savings of $143 million over three years.

The Navy ceded 118 acres of a former base in New Orleans to the renovation effort financed with $150 million of state bonds.

Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner faces federal extortion charges for accepting $36,000 in bribes in an alleged pay for play scheme.