Oregon

California and Oregon voters may soon have the opportunity to vote on controversial soda taxes which could bring in millions of extra dollars annually.

A more than $200 million bond-financed hotel near Portland, Oregon's convention center that had faced years of legal challenges appears on track to open in late 2019.

Oregon panel says state needs an additional $964 million per year to maintain and protect its existing transportation infrastructure.

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.

Claire Seguin will serve as interim director of the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, a major bond issuer in the state, beginning next month following the resignation of current director Margaret Van Vliet.

Oregon will sell more than $300 million of highly rated general obligation bonds in several tax-exempt and taxable series next week.

Washington electric utility Energy Northwest will sell nearly $500 million of refunding bonds later this month.

Far West issuers sold $83.6 billion of municipal bonds in 2015, a 26.5% increase over the prior year, as refundings continued to drive volume.

Keith Larson, who has served on the Oregon Investment Council for almost decade, has wrapped up his council career after being term-limited Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler announced Wednesday.

The Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund (OPERF) earned returns of 2.1% in 2015,and ended the year with a balance of $68.7 billion.