Shelly Sigo

BRADENTON, Fla. — With President Obama’s signature barely dry on the massive health care reform bill, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Treasury Department and the Department of Labor, alleging that the bill is unconstitutional.

Standard & Poor’s last week raised the Jones County School District’s underlying general obligation bond rating to A-plus from A-minus.

Moody’s Investors Service on Monday removed the negative outlook that was assigned to the Hancock County School District’s general obligation bonds following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Kentucky House last week passed a $17.5 billion general fund budget for fiscal 2011 and 2012 that would plug a projected $1 billion shortfall.

A federal judge Friday sentenced John Katopodis, a former Jefferson County commissioner and Birmingham City Council member, to three years and 10 months in jail on fraud convictions linked to his theft of taxpayer money intended for a poor children’s charity.

The Alabama Senate last week approved a bill that would let voters decide on Nov. 2 if the state should take $1 billion from its biggest savings account over the next decade to pay for road, bridge, and rail projects.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority in central Florida expects to be in the market today with retail pricing of up to $375 million of revenue bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Miami-Dade County Commission today will review a financial crisis that has enveloped the public health system whose flagship is Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Miami, which tangled with the Securities and Exchange Commission over financial disclosure issues earlier this decade, has hired the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius to represent it in the SEC’s latest probe.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The South Florida Water Management District yesterday unanimously extended a key contract deadline for its controversial plan to purchase land owned by U.S. Sugar Corp.

BRADENTON, Fla. — With the 2010 hurricane season set to begin June 1, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is preparing to price between $2 billion and $2.4 billion of debt to raise ready cash in case it is needed to pay claims for storm-related damages.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Attorneys for Larry Langford Tuesday filed a notice with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta stating they intend to appeal his conviction.

Florida’s elected Cabinet members Tuesday authorized the issuance of nearly $500 million of new debt.

Miami on Monday fired budget director Michael Boudreaux amid continuing questions about the city’s deficit and the budgets’s structural balance.

Moody’s Investors Service on Monday affirmed its Aa2 rating on Alabama’s $664 million of outstanding general obligation bonds and the Aa3 rating on another $171 million of debt that is subject to appropriations. The outlook is stable.

With a tight deadline ahead, the Jefferson County Commission Tuesday voted to declare the entire county a recovery zone to qualify for the issuance of recovery zone bonds under the federal stimulus program.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Securities and Exchange Commission sent the Florida State Board of Administration a one-paragraph letter last week stating that the agency will not recommend enforcement action regarding the meltdown of what was one of the largest local government investment pools in the country.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Alabama federal Judge Scott Coogler Friday sentenced former Jefferson County Commission president Larry Langford to 15 years in federal prison for his role in a long-running play-to-play scheme centering around the county’s now-failed $3.2 billion of sewer warrants and swaps.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two members of Florida’s congressional delegation Friday said more federal funding is on the way for high-speed rail for the state and other areas of the country.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Alabama federal judge Scott Coogler today sentenced former Jefferson County Commission president Larry Langford to 15 years in federal prison for his role in a long-running pay-to-play scheme centering around the county's now-failed $3.2 billion of sewer warrants and swaps.