Richard Williamson

DALLAS — A decade after Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opened for business, it is keeping the light on for a super low-fare carrier that might want to use its no-frills South Terminal.

DALLAS — For the second time in four months, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is preparing to call a special session of the Legislature to deal with a budget deficit that has grown to $1.75 billion.

DALLAS — Texas voters today will decide whether to issue $2 billion of bonds for veterans housing, partner with the Veterans Administration on a South Texas hospital, and redirect a $450 million education fund toward the creation of more top-tier universities.

The Texas Department of Transportation is proposing $1.1 billion for the widening of heavily congested sections of Interstate 35 between Austin and Dallas using more than half of the so-called Proposition 12 bonds authorized by lawmakers.

DALLAS — Amid a continuing plunge in revenues, transportation planners in the Phoenix area are cutting nearly $7 billion from a $16 billion freeway program financed through revenue bonds.

DALLAS — The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates it would have to fire up to 60% of its workforce, halt all non-emergency maintenance, and close all highway rest stops under a legislative plan to close a $2 billion budget shortfall.

DALLAS — Two executives of First Southwest Co. have joined the boards of key rulemaking and regulatory authorities for the municipal bond industry.

DALLAS — If Texas voters approve Proposition 4 next week, the state would invest $450 million toward adding seven Tier 1 universities in hopes of closing an educational gap with other large states.

DALLAS ­— With its credit outlook already negative from two rating agencies, Arizona faces increasing pressure to balance its budget after the state’s projected revenue shortfall soared to $2 billion.

DALLAS — Utah’s Intermountain Power Agency, a key supplier to California utilities, hopes to sell nearly $72 million of subordinated revenue bonds through a competitive deal on Wednesday.

DALLAS — Houston-based St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System is preparing a $385 million revenue bond refunding deal through the Harris County Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp.

DALLAS — Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives expects to sell up to $1.2 billion of revenue bonds with a variety of structures in a multi-state deal tomorrow and Thursday.

DALLAS — Regional transportation planners in the Phoenix area will take the first step toward a rail link to the western suburb of Glendale next week with the $878,000 study of the new route.

DALLAS — With tolling options closed, the Texas Transportation Commission is considering funding sources for a $2.2 billion expansion of heavily traveled Interstate 35 to six lanes from San Antonio to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

DALLAS — Facing strong headwinds from the ongoing recession and a weak airline industry, Denver plans to issue $235 million of fixed-rate airport bonds next week and $100 million of variable-rate bonds in November.

DALLAS — The Travis County Housing Authority in Austin is in the process of revamping its accounting procedures after federal auditors reported that the agency’s books could not be audited and that $2.5 million had been misapplied to non-federal programs.

SAN ANTONIO — The market for variable-rate housing bonds is not likely to recover until 2011, even if the Obama administration comes through with plans for $15 billion of liquidity, finance experts told the National Council of State Housing Agencies conference here.

SAN ANTONIO — Officials from the National Council of State Housing Agencies were hoping that Obama administration officials would announce a long-expected $35 billion bond purchase and liquidity program to coincide with their annual conference here yesterday, but the federal plan to expand the ailing housing bond market will have to wait, they said.

DALLAS — Battling an unrelenting economic crisis, still triple-A rated Phoenix today is seeking to take advantage of a favorable municipal market as the nation’s fifth-largest city offers $530 million of general obligation bonds.

DALLAS — A passenger rail line expected to begin in Juarez, Mexico, could cross the international boundary into El Paso, Tex., under a plan the sister cities are considering.