Far West

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.

A Medicare violation self-reported by the Mendocino Coast Health Care District could delay its efforts to exit Chapter 9 bankruptcy, according to a Standard & Poor's report.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige affirmed his support of Oahu's $6 billion elevated rail project, but added he will be pressing for cost containment on the project in the state of the state speech he delivered Jan. 26.