Oregon

SAN FRANCISCO — Oregon’s treasurer has proposed $280 million in debt capacity for the next two-year budget to help finance economic development ­projects.

SAN FRANCISCO — Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber unveiled a balanced budget proposal Tuesday for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 that reduces general-fund supported general obligation bond sales by 80% from the prior biennial spending cycle.

SAN FRANCISCO — Outgoing Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has pitched an austerity roadmap to help rescue the state from a $3.5 billion shortfall for the upcoming two-year budget.

Oregon has become the prime field test for a municipal movement that rewards banks for investing in their communities.

SAN FRANCISCO — The big ­question in Oregon is whether the two political parties will be able to put their differences aside long enough to tackle the state’s $3 billion ­budget hole.

Democrat John Kitzhaber will be back to serve another term as Oregon governor.

SAN FRANCISCO — The University of Oregon hopes to get the green light for a novel plan to sell $800 million of bonds to help create an endowment that would pay for the school’s expenses and reduce its reliance on state funding, according to its president.

SAN FRANCISCO — Government borrowing has a central role in the ­Oregon race for treasurer after incumbent Ted Wheeler took a stand against general obligation bond sales amid the state’s dire economic outlook.

SAN FRANCISCO — The University of Oregon has been forced to plunge deeper into a special reserve fund seeded by sneaker magnate Phil Knight to cover interest payments on $200 million of debt sold to pay for one of the most expensive college basketball arenas in the country.

SAN FRANCISCO — Voters in Oregon in November will consider a proposition that, if approved, would allow the state to issue more general obligation bonds in order to save on borrowing costs.

MENLO PARK, Calif. — Oregon’s budget woes have worsened with the state economist’s office forecasting a more than 3% drop in revenue due mainly to a dearth in tax collections.

A group of Washington and Oregon leaders signed off this month on important parameters for one of the Northwest's biggest planned public works projects — a replacement for the Interstate 5 crossing of the Columbia River.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Issuers in the Far West sold $43.36 billion of municipal bonds in 672 transactions during the first six months of 2010, according to Thomson Reuters, down from $47.12 billion in 600 transactions in the first half of 2009.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Oregon’s troubles are not over.

The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District in Oregon has disclosed that it is entering into the Internal Revenue Service’s voluntary closing agreement program to protect the tax-exempt status of $2.5 million of general obligation bonds it sold in 1998.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski used his final state of the state address last Friday to warn that he sees a fiscal "storm" coming unless lawmakers take action to tame the state's boom-and-bust budget cycles.

SAN FRANCISCO — Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski yesterday appointed Multnomah County chairman Ted Wheeler to be state treasurer.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Oregon Legislature closed its February special session last week after approving $140 million of bond-financed construction projects — legislation that would enable the state to sell Build America Bonds — and a bill that expands the types of projects that can be financed with general obligation debt.

The Oregon House last week unanimously approved a bill that would allow state Treasurer Ben Westlund to use Build America Bonds.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Oregon Legislature won’t send voters Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s proposal to change the state’s tax rebate law to bolster its rainy-day fund, lawmakers said late last week.