Nebraska

The Nebraska Farm Bureau says a community college’s $369 million bond question on the November ballot would lead to a massive property tax increase on farmers, business, and homeowners in southeast Nebraska.

Ralston, Nebraska’s general obligation arena bonds were dropped seven notches to junk by S&P Global Ratings after the project has struggled to produce the revenue needed to repay the debt.

The issuers of the Midwest sold $41 billion of municipal bonds in the first half of 2016, spurred by increased new money issuance, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Four port authorities and a wholesale electricity provider are warning that rules proposed by the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service earlier this year could hurt their standing as political subdivisions and their ability to issue bonds as well as complicate their governing structures.

New transportation program dedicates portion of revenue from Nebraska’s gasoline tax to state road infrastructure bank.

Nebraska lawmakers and governor agree on a proposed $450 million infrastructure bank financed with gas tax revenues.

Nebraska would accelerate work on an unfinished expressway with funding from a proposed transportation infrastructure bank.

Nebraska relies on Chapter 9 as a quick and easy way to restructure troubled special taxing district debt.

A Nebraska bill to give bondholders priority over other creditors in the event of a municipal bankruptcy is not likely to pass in the 2015 legislative session as different interest groups negotiate its language.

Members of a banking committee approved a Nebraska bill that would favor bondholders over pensioners in the event of a bankruptcy, sending the measure to the floor of the Legislature.

Officials from Nebraska’s largest cities urged lawmakers not to put “Goldman Sachs ahead of the common citizen” by advancing a bill that would favor bondholders over pensioners in the event of a bankruptcy.

Municipal bond borrowing by Midwestern issuers picked up steam last year, rising by 6.9% to $63.5 billion as issuers loosened the reins a bit on new money borrowing and refundings recorded double-digit gains thanks to favorable interest rates.

Nebraska legislators will hold a public hearing March 3 on a bill that would give bondholders priority over retirees in the event of a bankruptcy.

A proposed bill requiring Nebraska issuers to boost disclosure and stress bondholders' lack of priority over pensioners could spook national investors and drive up borrowing costs, some market participants warned state lawmakers Wednesday.

A Nebraska state senator introduced a pair of bills that would either give bondholders a clear priority over pensioners in the event of a bankruptcy or force cities to advertise their lack of priority on the first page of an official statement.

Midwestern voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of a handful of finance-related ballot questions and the leadership of eight states, including several where debate over fiscal pressures is taking center stage.

Borrowing by Midwest issuers slid 13.2% for the first half of 2014 but new-money issuance fueled by Chicago and Illinois deals helped boost new-money by 16.8%.

Omaha Public Power District is bringing $110 million of subordinate-lien refunding bonds to market this week, marking the district's first deal since its nuclear plant has come back online.

A bill that would allow Nebraska to issue bonds for highway construction advanced last week despite an eight-hour filibuster aimed at derailing the measure.

Moody's downgraded Omaha's convention hotel to A1, warning that the city may be forced to step in to cover rising debt payments.