Texas

Teague, most recently an executive director of the municipal securities department at Morgan Stanley, will focus on surface transportation.

Photos from The Bond Buyer's Texas Public Finance conference.

A state ban on bond underwriters that "boycott" or "discriminate" against the fossil fuel or firearms industries has resulted in fewer banks providing municipal financial products and services.

"We believe in this," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

Since war broke out on Oct. 7 between Israel and Hamas, over $1.64 billion of Israel bonds have been sold to more than 35 U.S. states, counties, cities and municipalities.

Some buying returned to the market Thursday from the buy-side and asset managers as dealers attempted to sell bonds, said Chris Brigati, senior vice president and director of strategic planning and fixed income research at SWBC.

The city is offering $567.6 million of debt in competitive sales Thursday as rating agencies keep a close eye on pension funding progress.

Austin Transit Partnership's ability under Texas law to seek expedited court validation for bonds to finance light rail is the subject of an April 25 hearing.

IDEA Public Schools maintained its A-minus rating with a negative outlook after a settlement was reached putting the charter school system under increased state oversight.

The deal announced by Mayor John Whitmire last week would end an eight-year-long impasse with the firefighters union and require $650 million of judgment bonds.

The $650 million settlement will fund back pay for firefighters, who will also get future wage hikes.

Under a settlement agreement, the Texas Education Agency assigned two conservators to oversee IDEA Public Schools, which was the target of a probe into alleged financial and operational improprieties.

One investor is offloading the debt, while another sees an opportunity.

High rates and high inflation, coupled with rich reserves, pushed off or delayed issuers coming to market in 2023, noted James Pruskowski, chief investment officer at 16Rock Asset Management.

Extreme weather could aggravate growing property insurance pressures on governments.

The nearly $5 billion I-35 expansion has sparked a lawsuit from residents saying it would exacerbate the interstate's historic role as a racial dividing line.

Robert Poole, a leading expert in the U.S. public-private partnership transportation sector, joins infrastructure reporter Caitlin Devitt to talk about upcoming deals including toll lanes and bridges in the Southeast and high speed rail in the West as well as states that are advancing P3s and action on the federal front. (37 minutes)

Texas bond volume climbed 22.5% to lead the nation in a year when issuance in the eight-state Southwest region increased by only 0.6%.

Austin Transit Partnership, which was created by the city and its mass transit agency to develop and finance Project Connect, approved an initial bond sale of up to $150 million.

Meanwhile in New York, the state doubles down on climate investments and restricts investments in some big oil and gas companies as the city blasts several big banks as they pull out from the Climate Action 100+ initiative.