Far West

Seattle is planning to sell $146 million of revenue bonds on Tuesday to fund improvements to its wastewater system and refund outstanding bonds.

The Internal Revenue Service has determined in an audit that general obligation bonds issued in 2007 and 2009 by the Sierra Kings Health Care District in California are private-activity bonds and not tax-exempt governmental bonds.

As state and local governments make efforts to prepare for climate change, credit analysts are watching closely to see how impacts from weather-related events might affect credit quality.

In the expensive aftermath of recent natural disasters, some local governments are working to mitigate the impacts of weather-related events that could occur in the future.

The director of the Internal Revenue Service's tax-exempt bond office will discuss new initiatives and updates at an audio webcast next week.

Recently released Treasury Department regulations that revise the standards practitioners follow when giving tax advice make the standards more flexible and less burdensome, bond lawyers said.

The pressure of meeting retirement obligations is likely to remain a major policy problem for many California cities, highlighted by the Stockton and San Bernardino Chapter 9 bankruptcies.

The Bond Dealers of America is urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to limit the scope of its continuing disclosure violation self-reporting program and the participation deadline by more than three months.

State general fund spending is increasing, although it continues to lag behind historical averages and revenue growth remains small in some states, according to a new report from the National Association of State Budget Officers.

Fenn Putman, former chair of the Public Securities Association and vice chair of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, passed away on Sunday, June 8, at age 80.