Far West

Courtroom sparks continue to fly between California and former redevelopment agencies nearly two years after the state's highest court ruled in favor of dismantling the tax-increment financing program that had been created to fight blight.

Federal Judge Kimba Wood, who imposed $5.6 million in fines and restitution on municipal bond bid-rigger David Rubin, called prison unwarranted for the founder of CDR Financial Products.

The state of California upsized its $1.6 billion GI deal to $1.8 billion and priced a day early on Wednesday amid strong demand.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the general revenue bond rating on the University of California ahead of its $750 million bond sale next month.

The Transportation Department may have to begin rationing state highway grants in July as the Highway Trust Fund is expected to dip below the critical $4 billion mark by summer.

Term limits are forcing an election-year shuffle in Nevada's finance positions.

Oregon's legislature ended its short session this month, approving over $5 billion in debt, but ending the Columbia River Crossing plan for a modern Interstate 5 span across the Columbia River.

Las Vegas received a revised outlook to stable from negative from Fitch Ratings which affirmed its AA rating for limited-tax general obligation bonds.

State tax revenues are growing more slowly again, the Nelson A, Rockefeller Institute of Government said Tuesday in a report based on preliminary data for the fourth quarter of last year.

The two boards of the Irvine, Calif.-based Transportation Corridor Agencies are scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to accept a settlement agreement governing the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Neil Peterson.