Oregon

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.

Voters in Portland, Ore., will decide May 17 on the city's proposed four-year, 10 cent per gallon gasoline tax.

Oregon's Municipal Debt Advisory Commission Task Force will gather information about new categories of debt incurred by local governments, including bank loans and lines of credit.

Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler has called for an immediate halt to a general obligation bond-financed energy loan program that is running in the red.

Market participants expect a slower year for Oregon public finance, though some sectors could pick up and major policy questions about corporate and property taxes could see discussion.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will seek public input in a series of meetings beginning next month on the preliminary findings of a policy group exploring the state's transportation needs.

The Oregon Investment Council is shifting the state's investment strategy to include more infrastructure and renewable energy investments and to reduce its exposure to stock market volatility

Oregon's latest two-year state general fund revenue projection is up slightly from earlier this year, though state leaders remain guarded about how stable its economic gains really are.

The Oregon Supreme Court will hear a case challenging the legality of a bond-financed hotel near the Oregon Convention Center, a project that has been tied up in legal difficulty for years.

Employment in Oregon's film industry has grown 75% in five years, Gov. Kate Brown said as supporters say the industry brings economic benefits despite significant tax concessions.

Oregon will sell $54.3 million of general obligation bonds for veterans’ housing in a negotiated deal next week.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Oregon's general obligation bond rating at AA-plus.