Florida

Lawmakers return to the state capital to formally approve the budget Thursday amid concerns over the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Cities and states that rely on hotel taxes and tourism-related revenues will lose billions as events and attractions shutter to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In budget talks, House Speaker José Oliva says lawmakers will discuss how to prepare for a recession that may result from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

S&P cut the senior water and sewer bond rating to AA-plus due to fallout from the recent failed attempt to sell Florida's largest utility.

Express lanes are the latest target for the anti-toll lawmakers tolls who last year tried to tie the hands of the Miami-Dade County Expressway Authority.

Judge John Cooper told the Florida Department of Transportation to increase Garcon Point Bridge tolls after FDOT failed to follow his order to do so in December.

Refundings and taxable deals were also up substantially, driving the region to $75 billion of municipal bond volume, up 32.6% from 2018.

Indian River County commissioners voted to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review its unsuccessful appeal against passenger train developer Brightline/Virgin Trains.

If House Bill 653 passes, Fitch Ratings says any rating impact would be felt by local governments that receive transfers, rather than by the utilities.

The failed attempt to sell Florida’s largest municipal utility and its contract to buy nuclear-generated electricity from a Georgia plant will be examined.

House Bill 653 would prohibit a municipal electric utility from using its revenues to finance general governmental functions.

The board of the Jacksonville-owned utility fired its former manager for cause, then resigned en masse; an interim manager is at the helm.

Taxable healthcare deals from NYU, and Escambia County, Fla., to price in market seeing yields fall amid virus fears.

A grand jury is probing the Jacksonville-owned utility as well as a community-based group and a special City Council investigative committee.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled that the initiative was misleading, violated state law, and shouldn’t be placed on November’s ballot.

Indian River County won’t pursue the federal litigation further, but it will proceed with a lawsuit in state court over the use of its railroad crossings.

The state prosecutor for the Jacksonville area said the probe into the city-owned utility has been turned over to the federal justice system.

JEA terminated former managing director Aaron Zahn without cause; the city attorney’s office is investigating if Zahn should be fired for cause.

The Jacksonville, Florida-owned utility’s managing director and chief financial officer were both fired amid turmoil over a privatization process, which was canceled.

Florida can issue $32.4 billion of bonds over the next decade, the state’s annual debt report concludes.