Louisiana

DALLAS — State and local officials dealing with the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico criticized BP’s response to the incident during Wednesday’s special two-hour briefing to the Louisiana Legislature.

DALLAS — The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee has backed an 11-point outline of how the state should finance transportation projects.

DALLAS — Louisiana state senators have endorsed key elements of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s fiscal plan for dealing with a revenue shortfall estimated at $3 billion over the next two fiscal years.

DALLAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday he would attempt to negotiate a budget dispute that is hampering the state’s efforts to deal with a revenue shortfall in fiscal 2010.

DALLAS — The Louisiana State Bond Commission gave its approval yesterday to refunding and restructuring $300 million of fuel-tax bonds issued in May 2009 to finance a portion of a constitutionally mandated transportation program.

Louisiana disclosed this week that it has been providing information to the Internal Revenue Service for the last 13 months as part of an ongoing audit of $650 million of general obligation refunding bonds it sold in 2005.

DALLAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal plans to close a $366 million budget gap over the next 10 weeks with funds earmarked for resolving a dispute with the federal government and money from a settlement with a pharmaceutical company.

DALLAS — The Louisiana State Bond Commission has temporarily postponed refunding $500 million of outstanding state general obligation bonds until the Internal Revenue Service completes a routine audit of some of the issues.

DALLAS — Louisiana lawmakers and Gov. Bobby Jindal must fill a $319 million revenue gap in the fiscal 2010 budget in less than three months following the latest revision in expected revenues.

Plans to build a state hospital in midtown New Orleans with revenue bonds can go forward following a ruling by a U.S. district judge last week that the planning process complied with federal law.

DALLAS — The largest business lobby in Louisiana will fight Gov. Bobby Jindal’s efforts to loosen constraints on two constitutionally protected state funds.

DALLAS —The Louisiana Legislature convened Monday for a three-month session that will focus on how to deal with a projected revenue decline of $1.7 billion in fiscal 2011 that could grow larger.

DALLAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday ordered state agencies and departments under his control to halt nonessential spending in light of a looming revenue shortfall in fiscal 2010.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Three Louisiana issuers have seen movement in their federal lawsuits against insurers and underwriters that were involved with their failed variable- and auction-rate securities.

DALLAS — Louisiana’s 14 state colleges and universities were advised at a legislative budget hearing on Tuesday to begin preparing now for a loss of almost $300 million in federal stimulus funds after fiscal 2011.

DALLAS — The Louisiana State Bond Commission gave its approval Thursday for a general obligation refunding that could total up to $600 million.

DALLAS — Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Financing Corp. is asking for help in its quest to issue debt based on hundreds of million of dollars in offshore energy royalties that won’t begin flowing into the state treasury for another seven years.

DALLAS — When the Louisiana Legislature convenes for its 2010 session in 11 days, lawmakers may face a budget situation that is worse than anticipated just three months ago.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said in an address to the Monroe Chamber of Commerce last week that Louisiana’s economy would continue to outpace the region and the nation thanks to strong fiscal discipline.

New Orleans Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu said he would seek an extension of the Gulf Opportunity Zone bond program when he meets with Obama administration officials and congressional leaders this week in Washington.