Shelly Sigo

With Florida facing a structural budget imbalance, lawmakers advanced a comprehensive gaming bill that would bring millions in new revenue and establish “predictability for our state budget,” its sponsor said.

In oral arguments on Jefferson County, Ala.’s bankruptcy plan last month, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals expressed concern that ratepayers challenging the plan did not request a stay before bonds were sold.

After R.J. Reynolds sold four cigarette brands to ITG Brands, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi sued the companies saying they have refused to comply with terms of the state’s 1997 tobacco settlement deal.

Louisiana now pegs its official mid-year deficit at $304 million, a number that is complicating the state’s ability to issue new debt.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam rolled out legislation Wednesday that would cut taxes and increase transportation funding for the first time in 28 years.

With a privately owned passenger train service just months away from starting up in south Florida, opponents told a federal judge it would be inequitable to dismiss their lawsuits because of a “backroom” deal involving public financing for the project.

A significant increase in Birmingham, Ala.’s pension liabilities led Fitch Ratings to cut the city’s issuer default and bond ratings by one notch to AA-minus, and to revise the rating outlook to negative.

Louisiana’s economists projected Friday the state’s budget shortfall will be as high as $313 million, prompting Gov. John Bel Edwards to say the deficit clearly indicates the need for special legislative session.

A nearly $50 billion budget for Georgia in fiscal 2018 has been recommended by Gov. Nathan Deal, who is also requesting $1 billion of borrowing for state projects, education and transportation.

Kentucky’s credit outlook was revised to negative ahead of an upcoming bond deal, a change S&P Global Ratings said was triggered by the state’s unfunded pension obligations.

An eventful year lies ahead for Louisiana with a special legislative session potentially necessary to address yet another budget shortfall and continued recovery efforts from last year’s disastrous floods.

Ben Watkins, director of Florida’s Division of Bond Finance, will receive the third annual Jim Lebenthal Infrastructure Champion award at The Bond Buyer's National Outlook Conference in New York Jan. 31.

A federal judge denied a request by two Florida counties for additional documents about public financing for the All Aboard Florida private passenger train project, moving their lawsuits closer to a ruling on dismissal.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper took office Jan. 1 amid political turmoil that prompted him to file a lawsuit challenging a recently passed law restricting his election board appointments.

Financial problems at Toshiba Corp. are credit negative for new nuclear power plants under construction at Plant Vogtle in Georgia and VC Summer in South Carolina, Moody's Investors Service said.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has added attorney John W. Mills III as a partner in the firm’s litigation department in Atlanta.

The U.S. Department of Transportation told a Florida congressman who made inquiries about All Aboard Florida’s financing that it “does not evaluate ridership, revenue, or creditworthiness” for private activity bond allocations.

Alabama state lawmakers in 2017 will weigh competing major bond programs to fund transportation and prison construction, as well as two controversial gambling proposals.

Miami Beach put the brakes on a public-private partnership to build a 3.5-mile light rail streetcar, to let voters have a say in a larger transit plan that boosters hope can tap the Trump administration’s infrastructure financing proposal.

Petersburg, Va., was removed from CreditWatch by S&P Global Ratings, which maintained its BB junk ratings and negative outlook despite the cash-strapped city's hiring of a turnaround firm.