Richard Williamson

Odessa, Texas took a one-notch downgrade, following in the footsteps of its Permian Basin sister city of Midland.

A revised revenue estimate that is $229 million below previous forecasts will delay highway projects and force other state spending cuts, Kansas officials said.

Citing “persistent and large operating losses,” Standard & Poor’s downgraded Catholic Health Initiatives one notch to A-minus and retained a negative outlook.

The West Texas oil capital of Midland, Texas, saw its Moody’s rating cut to Aa2 from Aa1 with an outlook that remains negative.

An international consortium of investors and project developers plans to issue $272 million of private activity bonds to build toll lanes in one of the Houston area’s most congested corridors.

A plan to reduce Oklahoma’s $1.3 billion budget shortfall would include $500 million of bonds for highway projects under a plan announced by Gov. Mary Fallin.

Three years after entering the Texas market, UMB Bank is expanding its investment banking division with 11 hires from other firms, led by Victor Pucciarelli, former senior vice president for Hilltop Securities.

The Securities Exchange Commission has charged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton with securities fraud in a case involving a Texas-based technology company. Paxton was already under indictment in Texas for acting as an unregistered financial advisor.

As Oklahoma lawmakers sought additional funds to close a $1.3 billion budget gap, Treasurer Ken Miller gave them the bad news that state tax receipts in March were the lowest in four years.

As it delivers growing numbers of commuters through Houston’s congested car culture, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will make a side trip to the municipal market with $136 million of refunding bonds.

After four months of decline, local sales tax revenues increased 2.6% in March compared to the same month last year, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar said.

The University of Texas System will seek savings with a $134 million refunding of revenue bonds.

Arkansas revenues remained above the forecast for March as state legislators prepared to open a special session dealing with Medicaid expansion.

Texas sales tax revenues grew 2.1% in March after five months of declines, Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported.

The first inventory of Texas toll roads is a starting point for future discussions about how to reduce tolling, said an anti-toll Texas lawmaker.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s signature on recently passed legislation will clear a path for the University of Colorado’s $168 million issue of new money and refunding bonds.

After months of seeing revenues fall well below projections, Kansas came within $1.7 million of its target for March, officials reported.

Citing strong enrollment growth and improving financial trends, Standard & Poor’s upgraded Texas Tech University System to AA-plus.

With a deadline bearing on them, Kansas legislators approved a court-mandated revision of the school funding formula designed to keep schools open in the next fiscal year beginning July 1.

Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas, will issue $536 million of taxable and $382 million of tax-exempt bonds.