Richard Williamson

A ruling that Colorado's school funding formula violates the state constitution is drawing scrutiny in several states that face similar legal challenges.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has awarded a design-build contract for the final segment in its $1.5 billion Orange Line project that will connect Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to the DART light-rail network, officials said.

Vinson & Elkins is exiting the public finance business as its entire 14-member team of attorneys moves to Bracewell & Giuliani, the law firms said.

Designing a solar rooftop for Salt Lake City's convention center has proven much less challenging than arranging the financing, planners for the $7 million project say.

Amid fears of rolling blackouts in Texas next summer, new municipal debt for electric power generation in the state has fallen sharply because of financing constraints and environmental litigation.

Amid major redevelopment projects at large airports in Texas, aviation bond issuance there is running at the highest level since 2003, according to data from Thomson Reuters.

DALLAS - Two Texas universities, one public and one private, are preparing $420 million of bonds for expansion projects amid signs of a steadily improving economy.

DALLAS - Plans to hold a Formula 1 race near Austin are in doubt after Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced plans to withhold $25 million in taxpayer subsidies for construction of the track.

DALLAS - The North Texas Tollway Authority achieved total savings of $10.1 million in a $268.6 million refunding deal that sold out in less than three hours, officials said.

DALLAS - The decision of San Antonio-area voters to dissolve the 66-year-old Bexar Metropolitan Water District is not expected to lower ratings of the utility's $216 million of outstanding revenue bonds, according to Standard & Poor's.

DALLAS - With high ratings and low water supplies, drought-stricken Austin expects a strong response from the muni market Tuesday when it prices $235.4 million of bonds to finance a new water treatment plant.

Texas voters approved nearly $1.5 billion, or 83%, of the $1.8 billion in local school bond authorization requested Tuesday, but barely half of the 29 local districts were successful, according to updated results.

Voters facing $16.5 billion of new debt for state and local governments proved largely receptive in a lightly attended off-year election.

DALLAS - After issuing $1.3 billion of revenue bonds under its new special projects lien, the North Texas Tollway Authority has maintained its critical A-level ratings on its first-tier main system revenue bonds.

DALLAS - Falling incarceration rates could interfere with Arizona's plan to issue debt to finance a for-profit private prison, according to reports.

DALLAS - Arizona State University will have a new way to issue debt with a stadium district authorized by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Phoenix.

DALLAS - Colorado voters refused a tax increase that would have raised $3 billion for the state's struggling school districts Tuesday and rejected several local measures that would have provided revenue for bond issues.

DALLAS - Texas' 254 counties would gain new bonding authority and could team up for long-term project financing under two constitutional amendments awaiting voter approval next week.

DALLAS - With financing already in place, the Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday agreed to begin seeking design-build credentials for an $815 million network of interstate highway interchanges and bridges in Dallas.

DALLAS - The University of Colorado Board of Regents will have $1.4 billion of outstanding debt after this week's $203 million enterprise revenue bond issue, according to analysts.