Far West

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.

California's plan to build a $68 billion high speed rail system in the state is being challenged by two counties and a city, which say the plan violates the state's environmental laws.

A court ruling that California teacher tenure laws in California are unconstitutional could have positive credit implications for school districts, according to Standard & Poor's.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced a plan to fix an “inconsistency” of $444 million between the state budget bill and the bond authorization bill passed by the state legislature.

For the first time in six months, California's tax revenues have come in lower than expected, according to a report from State Controller John Chiang