Far West

The Internal Revenue Service has recently closed two audits of bonds issued in Colorado with no change to the bonds' tax-exempt statuses.

California's recovery resulted from reduced spending, not just higher revenues, according to a Standard & Poor's report.

Oil-dependent Kern County, Calif. declared a fiscal emergency Tuesday anticipating a shortfall with oil prices down; one-third of the county's property tax revenues come from oil companies.

A taxpayers' group in San Diego County won a legal battle in its challenge to the way the school district spends its voter approved bonds.

Los Angeles International Airport will point to increasing passenger counts and progress on its expansion plan when it sells about $500 million of bonds.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Service raised its long-term rating to AA from AA-minus on the Washington Economic Development Finance Authority's series 2011 wastewater revenue and refunding bonds.

President Obama plans to propose a revised version of last year's $302 billion, 4-year transportation bill.

A federal judge ordered the former comptroller of a Harvey, Ill., to pay more than $200,000 in fines and barred him from participation in any future municipal issues for his role in misleading investors on several of the south Chicago suburb's past bond offerings.

Reps. John Duncan, R-Tenn., and Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., have once again sponsored legislation to exempt water and sewer private-activity bonds from state volume caps.

State and local governments of all sizes are using direct bank loans as an alternative to traditional bond financing, Standard & Poor's said Wednesday, renewing its call for more transparency surrounding bank debt.