Karen is a senior reporter covering the Southwest. She has covered the municipal bond market for more than 30 years at The Bond Buyer and Reuters. Prior to that she wrote about futures and options markets for magazines and was an award-winning reporter for a suburban Chicago newspaper chain.
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A state audit of the Houston-based HBCU that identified financial issues led the governor to direct state agencies to launch an investigation.
November 13 -
The Texas city could revisit plans for a desalination project to boost its dwindling water supply with the city council scheduled to consider it next week.
November 12 -
The city plans to sell about $690 million of AMT bonds on Nov. 18 to finance facilities and refund outstanding debt for the airline.
November 6 -
A rundown of the largest bond referendums.
November 5 -
Concerns over the Texas city's future water supply after a desalination project was terminated, led to negative rating outlooks from Fitch and S&P.
November 4 -
Federal immigration and trade policies are a likely factor in the triple-A-rated state's weak job growth and pose risks for its southern border cities' budgets.
November 4 -
The school system, which has an AA underlying bond rating from S&P, was targeted by the Texas Education Agency for a takeover based on academic performance.
October 31 -
The one-notch upgrade to AA-minus for Oklahoma's flagship university was assigned to an upcoming approximately $160.7 million bond refunding.
October 30 -
Approval by Doña Ana County of $165 billion of industrial revenue bonds for a massive data center project is being challenged in state court.
October 29 -
Voters will decide the fate of 447 bond propositions totaling a record $83.7 billion with development-related districts accounting for most of the debt.
October 28 -
The approval of $650 million of revenue bonds comes in the wake of a recently filed petition seeking to subject the project to voter approval or delay.
October 23 -
The city is gearing up to sell $252 million of general obligation bonds this year and $1.5 billion of revenue bonds in 2026 for a convention center project.
October 22 -
Cities are responding to a state directive to remove symbols on crosswalks and other so-called distractions or risk losing state and federal funding.
October 21 -
The case challenges Oklahoma's authority to collect income taxes from Native Americans who live and work on tribal reservations.
October 20 -
The city plans a competitive general obligation bond sale, as well as a sales tax revenue bond issue to help finance a professional basketball arena next year.
October 16 -
The city council took action to keep the property tax rate unchanged, a move that could punch a $53 million hole in the fiscal 2026 budget and drain reserves.
October 15 -
A six-notch downgrade gives the financially troubled city a non-investment grade rating of BB-plus with a negative outlook.
October 14 -
The state is gearing up to grow its space industry as the federal government starts allowing tax-exempt private activity bond financing for spaceports.
October 14 -
The county awarded $215 million of general obligation limited tax bonds for a jail project with uncertain future funding to lowest bidder BofA Securities.
October 9 -
A debt restructuring by Ninnekah Public Schools aimed to reduce the impact of a court-approved settlement that will still result in a huge property tax hike.
October 7
