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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Opponents of Oklahoma Turnpike extensions are calling for limits on the agency's ability to issue bonds and raise tolls.
October 3 -
Texas gave S&P until Oct. 13 to produce documents detailing its development and use of ESG factors in public finance ratings.
September 29 -
Houston has built up a $344.8 million general fund balance and reduced its unfunded pension liability to about $1.5 billion ahead of a possible economic slump.
September 29 -
The Utah Inland Port Authority, which sold $150 million of bonds in December, asked the audit team to provide direction on potential risks.
September 22 -
S&P upgraded the bonds to AA-plus and Fitch revised the outlook on the AA-rated debt to positive from stable.
September 21 -
Several Texas school districts, including Austin's, have put bond issues on the Nov. 8 ballot with some of the proceeds earmarked to fund security measures.
September 19 -
Despite a boost in state funding, Arizona school districts face big budget cuts unless the Republican-controlled legislature lifts a cap on their spending.
September 15 -
With Texas reporting a double-digit revenue increase in fiscal 2022 and projecting a record budget surplus, Gov. Greg Abbott wants a large property tax cut.
September 12 -
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has asked the state Supreme Court to validate bonds that would commence funding for a $5 billion, 15-year extension project.
September 9 -
Tollway revenue in the first half of 2022 surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels in five of the months.
September 8 -
Some Texas lawmakers are pushing legislation that could ensnare muni investment banks offering company funded access to out-of-state abortions for employees.
September 2 -
A three-judge panel reversed a district court's ruling in favor of the city's Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund that the law was unconstitutional.
August 31 -
The "after-action" report concluded that the Great Hall project would have been better served with a more traditional finance and contracting approach.
August 29 -
UBS was the only bank that underwrites municipal bonds on the list of 10 financial companies determined to be boycotting energy businesses under a Texas law aimed at protecting the state's oil and natural gas industry.
August 29 -
UBS was the only municipal bond underwriter included on the Texas comptroller's list of 10 financial companies determined to be boycotting energy businesses.
August 26 -
UBS' placement on the Texas comptroller's list of fossil fuel industry "boycotters" could jeopardize its role in a natural gas utility securitization bond sale.
August 24 -
The Texas Permanent School Fund's bond guarantee program, capped at $117.32 billion under federal law, reported projected available capacity was only about $3.9 billion as of June 30.
August 22 -
Kansas Gas Service is the third division of Tulsa-based ONE Gas, Inc., to participate in a state-sanctioned securitization related to Winter Storm Uri.
August 19 -
A county judge ruled that a lawsuit alleging Open Meeting Act violations on the part of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority will remain in his court unless the state supreme court chooses to exercise original jurisdiction.
August 17 -
Moody's said 35 out of the 82 borrowers that disclosed first-time draws on debt service reserve funds since April 2020 have averted delinquency "at least for now."
August 16
