Far West

Three Democratic Senators representing states without sales taxes recently wrote a letter to Senate leadership opposing federal legislation that would impose an Internet tax sales tax on its businesses.

Hawaii signed a lease agreement with Kaiser Permanente in which the health system will take over three struggling Maui hospitals.

The recent decision by the California State Teachers’ Retirement System to change its investment policy and reduce expected asset return volatility, is credit positive for California and its school districts , Moody's Investors Service said.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services this week revised its outlook to negative from stable on both the District of Columbia’s bonds outstanding issued for National Public Radio (NPR) and on its issuer credit rating for the media organization.

California is the least prepared to weather a recession of the four most populous states, according to a Moody’s Investors Service fiscal stress test.

California achieved $195 million in net present value savings on a $1.5 billion competitive sale that included a sizeable refunding.

A California bill that would encourage the state’s two big public pension funds to invest in state infrastructure was approved in committee.

Long Beach, Calif. closed Wednesday on $513 million in financing on a public-private partnership for a new city hall, port headquarters, library and park.

Legislation to put California’s teacher pension fund on a more sustainable track could prove to be bitter medicine for some school districts and the state itself because of higher contributions.

The San Diego Association of Governments plans a bond sale in mid-July.