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.
-
A reduction in the program's reserves and February debt payments and maturities of outstanding guaranteed bonds will increase capacity by $7 billion to $9 billion.
February 13 -
Rising interest rates depressed refunding opportunities, but new money issuance rose amid demand for infrastructure to serve the region's growing population.
February 13 -
With $300 million of term bonds due in 2051 underperforming in secondary market trading, Kansas officials are eyeing a surplus revenue funded buyback plan.
February 13 -
Citi was barred from underwriting government bonds in Texas under a state law prohibiting contracts with companies that "discriminate" against the firearms industry.
February 9 -
Public school districts faced $1.38 billion in spending cuts next month due to a constitutional cap on expenditures.
February 9 -
The award to the South Terminal's private operator comes as Austin plans to demolish the facility as part of an expansion project to accommodate increased airport traffic.
February 8 -
Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to tap surplus revenue to build up reserves and is once again asking the legislature to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries and pass an expanded school voucher program.
February 7 -
Todd Russ, who took office Jan. 9, is vetting banks and financial institutions to determine if they are 'boycotting' Oklahoma's fossil fuel industry.
February 6 -
Despite its nearly drained capacity, the Texas Permanent School Fund program continues to operate as it seeks legislative and regulatory solutions to a federal cap.
February 3 -
Energy production taxes slowed or fell last month, with the oil tax generating $486 million, which was 14% higher than in January 2022, and natural gas tax revenue falling 13% at $322 million.
February 2 -
Christian Care Centers' bankruptcy liquidation plan leaves bondholders impaired after an asset sale raised only $44.25 million.
January 31 -
The popularity of Arizona's universal school choice program, which pays for private schools, brought higher-than-projected costs and future budget impact.
January 30 -
Biennial budget bills filed by the Texas House and Senate include $15 billion in property tax cuts amid a projected $32.7 billion surplus.
January 25 -
School districts must sell bonds based on their own ratings or with private insurance because the triple-A-rated Permanent School Fund's capacity is nearly maxed out.
January 23 -
The Texas attorney general's office determined a Citigroup commercial firearms policy does not comply with a 2021 state law prohibiting state and local government contracts with companies that discriminate against the firearms industry.
January 19 -
With the Permanent University Fund only benefitting the two biggest public universities in Texas, the state legislature will consider creating an endowment for other higher education institutions.
January 18 -
As revenue collections climb, governors are laying out plans to reduce property, sales, and income taxes.
January 9 -
As a result of low projected available capacity, some school districts may not get the program's triple-A ratings for their bond sales.
January 5 -
While the turnpike authority is mulling an appeal of an Open Meeting Act violation judgment, lawyers for property owners are preparing to sue over money paid to contractors.
January 4 -
IDE Technologies proposed a privately financed project to bolster Arizona's water supply by delivering desalinated water from Mexico to the state via a pipeline.
December 30
