Far West

While ratings will remain stable in the public power sector over the next 12 months, the sluggish economy and prospect of new regulations pose risks for the longer term, Standard & Poor's said in a report issued Thursday.

Nevada Treasurer Kate Marshall has been elected the 2012 president of the National Association of State Treasurers.

The Idaho Bond Bank Authority received a Aa1 rating from Moody’s Investors Service on $17.9 million of revenue bonds it planned to price this week.

A proposal introduced in the Hawaii Legislature Tuesday that would prevent so-called “spiking” of public pensions faced little resistance, according to published reports.

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the troubled Southern California Logistics Airport Authority’s subordinate tax-allocation revenue bonds to B3 from B1.

A high-profile group of California billionaires and influential political players has pulled plans to put two tax initiatives on the November ballot.

Uncertainty over what happens next for redevelopment agencies in California has prompted Moody's Investors Service to downgrade $11.6 billion of tax allocation bonds.

The Joint Committee on Taxation released its annual tax expenditure estimates showing $177.6 billion for public-purpose muni bonds over five years, while a governmental group urged President Obama and congressional leaders to "go big" on federal deficit reduction and rely on two reports that proposed curtailing or eliminating tax exemption for new muni bonds.

COMPTON, Calif. — The Compton, Calif., mayor's allegations of fraud at city hall have at least temporarily halted the city's ability to get a line of credit to pay bills, according to officials.

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission should consider seven alternative methods of compensating rating agencies, including one patterned after the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, the Government Accountability Office said in a report sent Wednesday to key members of Congress.