Far West

State Treasurer John Chiang selected municipal bond veteran Tim Schaefer as deputy treasurer for public finance, among senior staff picks announced the week of his swearing in.

Development of a new multiyear highway bill with more funding for state transportation projects is main focus of a key Senate committee.

Michigan Democrat Rep. John Conyers has introduced legislation that would make it much harder for municipalities to restructure their debt through bankruptcy.

California's nonprofit Daughters of Charity Health System is bucking noisy union opposition in an effort to sell out to a for-profit operator that would retire its junk-rated tax-exempt bonds.

Art Leahy, chief executive of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, plans to step down in April when his contract expires.

Work is officially under way on California's $68 billion high speed passenger rail project funded with $10 billion of voter-approved state bonds

New California Controller Betty Yee's latest senior staff picks include municipal bond industry veteran Lynn Paquin, who was appointed senior financial advisor.

Fitch Ratings affirmed its AA-minus rating, and Standard & Poor's its A-plus rating, ahead of a bond sale planned by Cottage Health System in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Proposed changes in how Moody's Investors Service rates $6.5 billion in tax allocation bonds in California could mean upgrades for many Golden State redevelopment credits.

Congress needs to preserve the tax exemption of municipal bonds if it's serious about supporting infrastructure, National Governors Association vice president and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said.