Far West

California Gov. Jerry Brown will push to change school funding this year, according to reports.

California Gov. Jerry Brown is tentatively set to release his budget blueprint for the next fiscal year early this month.

The Treasury Department officially suspended the sale of State and Local Government Series securities at noon last Friday, perhaps minimizing the impact on the municipal bond market.

A process winding down California's redevelopment agencies remains complex and painful for successor agencies though a year has passed.

Municipal bond and city interests are spending the final hours before the fiscal cliff deadline watching and waiting, remaining hopeful that lawmakers will agree on a slimmed-down last-minute deal not including any threats to the muni interest tax exemption.

Market participants wonder if the Justice Department will indict more firms and individuals for bid-rigging of bond-related investment and derivatives contracts.

A federal ruling will allow the $5.2 billion Honolulu elevated rail transit project to move forward, securing $1.5 billion in federal funding approved on Dec. 20.

Hawaii Senate president Shan Tsutsui was named lieutenant governor replacing Brian Schatz, who will fill the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's vacant position.

The Internal Revenue Service's tax-exempt bond office plans to continue to invest significant resources in identifying abusive transactions in the municipal bond market in 2013.

Poseidon Resources, the builders of a seawater desalination plant in California, pulled off a $734 million bond sale in the midst of a massive sell-off.