Texas

Amid a search for a new superintendent, Fort Worth Independent School District will take $271 million of bonds to market for new projects and refunding.

Former RBC Capital Markets managing director Mel Schonhorst achieved a measure of success after seven years trying to clear his name in a Texas investigation that cost him his job though he was never accused of anything.

The West Texas city of Lubbock will price a $131 million general obligation bond refunding and $99.3 million of certificates of obligation for its water and sewer program.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott named Tyron Lewis chair of the Texas Transportation Commission, the state's largest issuer of debt, replacing Ted Houghton.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has cancelled a contract with the operator of a private detention facility in Raymondville, Texas, that was closed after an inmate revolt.

Corpus Christi, Texas, will price $141 million of fixed and variable-rate bonds for its Mary Rhodes Pipeline project with the benefit of a one-notch upgrade from Standard & Poor's.

Plans to build a $5 billion liquefied natural gas export plant at the Port of Brownsville will have a negative impact on Exelon Generation Co.'s Baa2 credit, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Moody's Investors Service lowered the Lower Colorado River Authority's rating to A2 from A1 as the water and electricity wholesaler prepared to refund $123 million of revenue bonds.

Tax revenue in the top oil producing states has fallen sharply, dropping by 40% in Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

A Texas legislative subcommittee chaired by Rep. Trent Ashby gets $2.8 billion of tuition revenue bonds for colleges and universities moving in the 2015 session. It has been nine years since the last TRBs were authorized.

Texas sales tax revenue continued to climb in February, rising 11.7% over February 2014 to $2.46 billion, according to Comptroller Glenn Hegar.

The cost of issuing bonds in 2014 was half the amount of five years ago and appears to be the lowest on record, according to the Texas Bond Review Board.

A Texas bill that would lower the threshold for property tax rollback elections could limit the flexibility of local governments in fast-growing areas of the state, according to Fitch Ratings.

Two Texas senators have added to the anti-toll legislation in the 2015 legislative session, filing bills to limit the use of public-private partnerships to non-toll projects and other legislation.

Voters across Texas will consider passing more than $4.75 billion of bond proposals on ballots May 9.

Former Maverick County Commissioner Cesar Flores has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a bribery and bid-rigging scheme involving state highway funds. Fourteen others have been convicted.

Texas Tech University System earned an upgrade from Moody's Investors Service and prospects for another from Standard & Poor's based on its growing financial resources, strong brand recognition and enrollment increases across its four campuses.

A bill that dedicates about $2.5 billion from vehicle sales taxes to non-toll highway projects is the first to win state Senate approval in the 2015 Texas Legislature.

JPMorgan, ranked second among senior managers last year, is losing about six mid- and senior level public finance bankers through a mix of departures, retirements, and one cut, according to industry sources.

LaSalle County, Texas, is trying to take over operation of a for-profit prison after the private operator quit its contract for the damaged facility.