Mississippi

Moody's Investors Service does not anticipate any disruption in debt-service payments by issuers in Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricane Isaac.

Municipal bond issuance in the Southeast during the first half of this year was up by 57% to $34 billion - nearly the same amount that was lost between 2011 and 2010.

Mississippi's higher education officials last week said they have $683.9 million in capital needs, and they hope the Legislature will address some of that with bonding capacity next year.

BRADENTON, Fla. — For the first time in years, the Mississippi Legislature has ended its annual session without passing a bill authorizing new bonds for capital projects.

During his first state of the state address Tuesday, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said his goals include implementing education and budget reforms, economic development initiatives, and workforce development.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Tuesday submitted his final executive budget recommendations, and told legislators to curb spending for fiscal 2013 due to the state’s sluggish recovery.

A health care issuer and borrower in Mississippi are discussing the possibility of entering into a voluntary agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to settle tax law violations that occurred after some bond-financed equipment was sold to a private group.

Louisiana's entire congressional delegation and the Mississippi treasurer are urging the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service to issue guidance allowing Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds to be issued after the year ends to refund previously issued GO Zone bonds on a tax-exempt basis.

DALLAS - Mississippi will take a $675.2 million, multi-part general obligation bond issue to market next week that will finance state capital improvement projects, provide funding for economic development efforts, and refinance existing debt.

The Rankin County School Board failed to get the votes necessary in a referendum last week to authorize the issuance of $169.5 million of general obligation bonds.

In a one-day special session Friday, the Mississippi Legislature approved the issuance of $175 million of general obligation bonds as incentives for two major development projects.

Mississippi Lieut. Gov. Phil Bryant last week bested four candidates vying for the Republican nomination for governor this fall.

The Mississippi State Bond Commission is seeking underwriters for the sale of $650 million of general obligation bonds expected to be sold in late September or early October. The deal will be split evenly between tax-exempt and taxable debt, according to the request for proposals. The bonds will have maturities up to 25 years.

The Rankin County School Board is planning to ask voters to authorize the issuance of $169.5 million of general obligation bonds.

DALLAS — Tolls on twin state bridges across the Mississippi River in New Orleans should be allowed to expire next year with the final payment on the bonds that financed the spans, an advocacy group argues.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Seven months after the largest oil spill in U.S. history, the credit ratings of state and local government bond issuers in the Gulf Coast region have remained stable, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mississippi expects to price this week’s largest negotiated deal with a $650.7 million taxable general obligation bond transaction that represents only its second issuance of Build America Bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Three Gulf Coast states are trying to beat the deadline to sell billions of dollars of private-activity bonds allocated by Congress in the 2005 Gulf Opportunity Zone Act.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Mississippi Legislature was expected to be in a special session today deciding whether to approve $50 million of bond financing and other incentives for a biofuels company.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Boosted by the popularity of Build America Bonds and refunding opportunities, issuers in the 11 states that comprise the Southeast region sold $34.5 billion of municipal bonds in the first half of 2010, up 7.4% over the same period last year.