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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Issuers in the eight-state region sold $103.3 billion of bonds last year, with Texas deals accounting for $68.13 billion of the debt.
February 25 -
The unpredictable nature of legislating leads most to holding off on disclosure changes until a bill becomes a law.
February 24 -
Moody's is the latest rating agency to warn about a budget squeeze for Texas schools, which have been prolific issuers of voter-approved bonds in recent years.
February 20 -
The South San Antonio Independent School District, which has had a state conservator, will now get a state-appointed board of managers and superintendent.
February 19 -
The state will have less money to spend in the upcoming fiscal year, according to projections certified in a process criticized by Oklahoma's attorney general.
February 18 -
Texas officials are eying ways to protect a massive state-funded school property tax cut from being eroded by local bond issues and tax increases.
February 18 -
The rating for Baylor Scott & White Health in Texas was upgraded, while Presbyterian Healthcare Services in New Mexico was downgraded by Moody's.
February 13 -
The study comes as the city faces a growing structural budget deficit and shrinking reserves that led to negative bond rating outlooks.
February 12 -
Governors in the drought-prone region are asking their legislatures for funding to boost future water supply or to repair aging water infrastructure.
February 11 -
The Lone Star State is expected to add 225,000 jobs in 2025, down from 244,000 last year, according to the Dallas Federal Reserve's annual forecast.
February 7 -
A recent Texas Supreme Court decision will force the city to increase the amount of property tax revenue allocated to a dedicated drainage and street fund.
February 5 -
The legislation would change which state official enforces 2022's Energy Discrimination Elimination Act and remove bond and note sales from a contract ban.
January 30 -
The Dallas-based firm, which was acquired last year by Texas Regional Bank, is expanding its underwriting reach in Texas and other states aided by new hires.
January 30 -
Legislation to create an education savings account program that would cost an initial $1 billion and serve nearly 100,000 students advanced out of a committee.
January 29 -
The high court agreed to review a June Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that found state funding for a Catholic virtual charter school violates the constitution.
January 28 -
The turnpike authority brings a $1.3 billion new and refunding bond deal to market this week after a toll hike sparked a spate of bills to rein in its powers.
January 28 -
The state House and Senate announced their spending plans for the upcoming biennium, including funding to continue and increase 2023's state-funded tax cut.
January 22 -
The county would hold a special election for a sales tax to provide more funds to build and operate a bond-financed jail project that faces rising costs.
January 22 -
Public school districts sought bond authorizations in January totaling $469 million, which topped an available state cap of $293.4 million.
January 21 -
While Texas is forecasting a big budget balance, fiscal boom times are ebbing for it and other Southwest states amid tax cuts and depleted federal funding.
January 21
