South Carolina

The Federal Railroad Administration and Georgia Department of Transportation are preparing a study to evaluate high-speed passenger rail service between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.

Richland County, S.C., started paying an extra penny sales tax Wednesday, which will provide $1 billion for transportation projects over the next 22 years.

Historically low interest rates last year helped boost bond sales across the Southeast to $63 billion, an increase of 33% over 2011. The surge in debt was propelled by refundings.

Some South Carolina legislators are looking for new ways to raise funds for transportation, and are looking at a novel plan backed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Valarie Williams, director of the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority, has been appointed to an Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.

The impacts of property tax caps in the Eastern U.S. states are mixed, ranging from minimal to restrictive, according to a recent report from Standard & Poor's.

The South Carolina Alliance to Fix Our Roads has begun to lobby for an increase in the state's motor fuel tax to fund more than $50 billion in needed transportation improvements.

Election results are being challenged in Richland County, S.C., where voters apparently approved a $450 million bond authorization.

South Carolina Department of Revenue officials are still rebounding from one of the largest computer hacking episodes in the country.

As the Southeast's economy slowly begins to thaw, measures on the Nov. 6 ballot reflect both fiscal conservatism and pent-up demand for education and transportation needs.

The South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank picked up $67 million or 15.76% in savings from competitively refunding $425 million of revenue bonds Wednesday.

Officials in Richland County, S.C., have begun public meetings and speaking engagements to educate voters on a $450 million general obligation bond measure.

Municipal bond issuance in the Southeast during the first half of this year was up by 57% to $34 billion - nearly the same amount that was lost between 2011 and 2010.

Two ports in Florida and one each in Georgia and South Carolina will see expansion projects expedited thanks to the Obama administration's "We Can't Wait Initiative."

On Wednesday South Carolina became the last state to adopt a fiscal year 2013 budget.

Massachusetts has a budget for fiscal 2013 while South Carolina remains the only state without one, 11 days into the new fiscal year.

On Monday North Carolina gained a budget but as of Tuesday afternoon Massachusetts and South Carolina remain without valid fiscal year 2013 budgets.

Though the new fiscal year has started, Massachusetts, North and South Carolina still lacked fiscal year 2013 budgets on Monday afternoon.

Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina are about close to blowing a deadline for adopting a fiscal 2013 budget.

Seven States are two and a half day away from blowing a Saturday deadline for adopting a fiscal year 2013 budget.