Texas

Texas, Oklahoma, and other Southwest states would jump on the bitcoin bandwagon amid a nationwide surge in bills to invest public money in cryptocurrencies.

It was 2024's biggest national conduit. You may not have heard of it. New Hampshire's National Finance Authority has become a big issuer with a low profile.

It marks a major step forward for the long-stalled high-speed train project between Dallas and Houston.

A voter-approved charter amendment requiring a bigger police force spurred Moody's Ratings to revise its outlook on the city's A1 bond rating to negative.

Issuers in the eight-state region sold $103.3 billion of bonds last year, with Texas deals accounting for $68.13 billion of the debt.

The South San Antonio Independent School District, which has had a state conservator, will now get a state-appointed board of managers and superintendent.

A charter school in San Antonio is expected to close at the end of the year, jeopardizing $25 million of municipal bonds the institution borrowed in 2022.

The rating for Baylor Scott & White Health in Texas was upgraded, while Presbyterian Healthcare Services in New Mexico was downgraded by Moody's.

The study comes as the city faces a growing structural budget deficit and shrinking reserves that led to negative bond rating outlooks.

A recent Texas Supreme Court decision will force the city to increase the amount of property tax revenue allocated to a dedicated drainage and street fund.

From two Colorado lines to more Amtrak service, Southwest states are advancing passenger rail projects, but the Trump administration may slow that roll.

The Dallas-based firm, which was acquired last year by Texas Regional Bank, is expanding its underwriting reach in Texas and other states aided by new hires.

The state House and Senate announced their spending plans for the upcoming biennium, including funding to continue and increase 2023's state-funded tax cut.

"Stan, as a former CFO and controller within the school system, has considerable insight into the needs of our education clients, and can leverage the full breadth of Stephens' resources to help them realize their goals," Stephens' Leigh Ann Biernat said in a statement.

While Texas is forecasting a big budget balance, fiscal boom times are ebbing for it and other Southwest states amid tax cuts and depleted federal funding.

The state comptroller forecasts a $23.8 billion budget balance at the start of fiscal 2026-27, down from a record $39.4 billion for fiscal 2024-25.

Wish lists for new or improved professional sports venues are piling up with Oklahoma City poised to vet financing proposals for a downtown basketball arena.

The Texas Attorney General will end reviews of Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan after the banks recently left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

Large bond sales are expected this year for airports undergoing major expansion projects in Denver, Dallas, Houston, and Austin amid rising passenger traffic.

The muni market saw $507.585 billion of debt issued in 2024, up 31.8% from $385.061 in 2023. This surpasses the previous record of $484.601 billion in 2020 by more than $20 billion, per LSEG data.