Oklahoma

Energy-producing states are riding out oil and natural gas price swings that affect severance tax collections.

Utilities paid sky-high prices for natural gas and power during Winter Storm Uri, leading to the issuance last year of nearly $2.9 billion of bonds to cover those costs.

As the Oklahoma Supreme Court nears a decision on the validity of initial bonds for the turnpike's $5 billion project, property owners again raised objections.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court is considering the turnpike's application to jumpstart funding for a $5 billion extension project with $500 million of revenue bonds.

The state's attorney general called the move unconstitutional and warned that it will likely lead to costly litigation.

Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott plans a special session on school choice as more states pass vouchers and Arizona's universal program sees costs explode.

The state Supreme Court decided the lawsuit in the turnpike authority's favor, but it has yet to rule on the validity of bonds to finance a $5 billion extension.

The Legacy Capital Financing Act would give the state another option to fund capital projects after a delayed annual audit prevented the issuance of bonds.

Changes affecting the turnpike's board, which take effect Nov. 1, come as it awaits a court ruling on issuing initial bonds for a $5 billion project.

A tender offer and a debt service shortfall related to bonds issued in the wake of Winter Storm Uri popped up this month as its financial impact lingers.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority asked the court to approve $500 million of bonds to jumpstart funding for a $5 billion extension project.

The measure, which passed both legislative chambers in lopsided votes, would strip the governor of his sole ability to appoint turnpike board members.

The resignation comes after the bank was placed on the state treasurer's list of fossil fuel industry boycotters.

The placement of Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America on the list makes them ineligible for state and local government contracts.

The House is holding onto the bill until an agreement is reached with the Senate on public school funding.

Ongoing litigation and a state investigative audit could impact bonds for a $5 billion expansion even if the debt is validated by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The growth in March tax collections reported by the states was less robust than a year earlier.

The measure, which passed with slim vote margins in the Republican-controlled legislature, could drive banks out of the state's market, according to the governor.

The House and Senate differ in their approaches to lowering property taxes by billions of dollars as the state anticipates a record budget surplus.

Big national banks would be banned from state and local government contracts in Oklahoma if their policies "discriminate" against the firearm industry.