Far West

Alaska is planning to sell $170 million of short-term debt to finance transportation projects in a competitive offering next week.

The sentencing of municipal bond bid-rigger David Rubin has been postponed to 3:30 p.m. March 12.

Securities and Exchange Commission member Michael Piwowar has asked the staff of the Office of Municipal Securities to give him some proposals that he can push through the SEC to improve price transparency in the municipal market.

U.S. President Barack Obama included $250 million in his fiscal year 2015 budget for Honolulu's $5.2 billion elevated rail project that will extend 20 miles from the capitol city to the opposite side of the island of Oahu.

California State Controller John Chiang released a report showing the state's health care liabilities total $65 billion and suggested a way to reduce that amount.

California could see low borrowing costs next week when it brings $1.6 billion of general obligation debt to market.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power doesn't expect to completely work through problems associated with a new computer billing system that resulted in revenue shortfalls until year end.

The Irvine, Calif.-based Transportation Corridor Agencies has placed Chief Executive Officer Neil Peterson on leave after a dust-up involving contract approvals.

The funding level for state-sponsored defined benefit retirement systems increased to 75% in 2013 from 72% the previous year, Wilshire Consulting reported on Wednesday.

Moody's Investors Service on Feb. 28 revised its outlook from negative to positive on $3.02 billion in outstanding California Housing Finance Agency's home mortgage revenue bonds and affirmed a Baa2 rating on the bonds.