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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The outlook revision to negative for the Texas Biomedical Research Institute cited weakened liquidity and reliance on federal grants, the rating agency said.
By Karen PierogSeptember 23 -
Two triple-A bond deals from the Lone Star State to finance water-related projects are scheduled to price this week in the municipal market.
By Karen PierogSeptember 23 -
Doña Ana County taxable industrial revenue bonds, which will be sold to participants in the project, will enable the project to access a variety of tax breaks.
By Karen PierogSeptember 22 -
Backers of a voter-approved public safety funding proposition that led to a negative rating outlook by Moody's said the budget fails to comply with the measure.
By Karen PierogSeptember 18 -
Utilities, and the local governments and states that house data centers, are wrestling with policy questions about who should cover the costs of the projected spikes in water and electricity demand.
September 16 -
Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority's ratings were raised by Moody's, which, along with S&P, upgraded North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority's.
By Karen PierogSeptember 12 -
The rating agency's review was triggered by the city's move to effectively end plans for a seawater desalination project that has $235 million of bonds outstanding.
By Karen PierogSeptember 11 -
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered lawmakers back into session to mitigate the impact on hospitals, Medicaid, and other programs from federal policy changes.
By Karen PierogSeptember 9 -
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport plans to sell $2 billion of revenue bonds this week as it continues financing for a $12 billion capital program.
By Karen PierogSeptember 9 -
With the estimated cost rising to $1.2 billion, the city council took action to end planning for the project, sparking concerns about outstanding bonds.
By Karen PierogSeptember 5 -
Differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, which targeted cities and counties, could not be resolved.
By Karen PierogSeptember 4 -
Controller Chris Hollins warned the city lacks sufficient reserves to deal with weather-related disasters in the face of reduced federal financial assistance.
By Karen PierogSeptember 3 -
Aleon Metals, along with its subsidiaries, which sold more than $300 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds since 2019, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcies in August.
By Karen PierogSeptember 2 -
Data center projects, which are proliferating across the country, are taking advantage of tax breaks that can be costly for states and local governments.
By Karen PierogSeptember 2 -
The state will tap reserve funds, close tax loopholes and cut spending to address a more than $1 billion shortfall in its fiscal 2026 budget.
By Karen PierogAugust 29 -
In a 2-1 vote, county commissioners approved an Oct. 8 competitive general obligation bond sale to keep funding a jail project amid escalating costs.
By Karen PierogAugust 27 -
Big changes made by the House to a high-priority bill targeting cities and counties were rejected by the Senate, sending the measure to a conference committee.
By Karen PierogAugust 27 -
Legislation passed in Texas and other Southwest states this year seeks to increase or explore funding sources to finance water supply and infrastructure.
By Karen PierogAugust 26 -
A state lawmaker is asking the court to invalidate a 2022 nearly $700 million bond sale due to inadequate audits by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
By Karen PierogAugust 22 -
The proposed $1.3 billion arena would be financed with city revenue bonds, along with county taxes, subject to voter approval, and a team contribution.
By Karen PierogAugust 21




















