Texas

DALLAS — Texas will leverage its strong credit to raise its reputation in higher education this week with $152 million of student loan bonds.

DALLAS - Dallas is expected to pay off the final $10.45 million installment on bonds used to build the American Airlines Center, retiring the debt 16 years ahead of schedule.

The Houston Independent School District may join in a lawsuit against Texas over inequities in the state's school finance system, board president Paula Harris said last week at a news conference.

The state sales tax generated $1.95 billion in May, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said last week, an increase of 10% from May 2010 collections.

Harris County has recouped the final payment from more than $300,000 it sought from five law firms over unsubstantiated travel and entertainment expenses incurred in the sale of county bonds.

In the midst of a $1.9 billion renovation of its four original terminals, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will refund $112 million of revenue bonds next week for total anticipated savings of $25 million.

DALLAS — A bill that would authorize $9 billion of highway construction in North Texas through public-private partnerships is expected to get Gov. Rick Perry’s signature by the June 19 deadline.

DALLAS — Texas lawmakers are expected to complete the special legislative session’s budget work on Thursday when the House will consider school finance bills passed by the Senate late last week.

Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has filed a bill allowing Texas state colleges and universities to issue a total of $100 million of tuition revenue bonds. She said she wants to be ready to move if Gov. Rick Perry expands the bills that could be considered in the current special legislative session.

DALLAS — Texas Gov. Rick Perry called the Legislature into a 30-day special session that began Tuesday after a Democratic filibuster killed a combination revenue bill and school funding reform measure aimed at balancing the two-year state budget that was agreed to over the weekend.

DALLAS — The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the first toll road agency of its kind in Texas, is looking for yield-hungry investors willing to take a risk on $374 million of revenue bonds at or below investment grade next week.

DALLAS — Harris County, Texas, has asked five law firms involved with 30 county bond issues over three years to return $300,586 of undocumented travel and entertainment expenses.

DALLAS — Texas legislators have agreed on the state’s next two-year spending plan, but still must reconcile revenues with expenditures before the session ends next week

Trustees of the Lake Travis Independent School District voted last week to put a $158.5 million general obligation bond proposal to voters on Nov. 8.

DALLAS — Texas budget negotiators agreed late Thursday to accept the Senate’s plan for a $4 billion reduction to state aid for public education over the next two years, ditching the House’s proposal for cuts totaling $7.8 billion.

DALLAS — Texas lawmakers will have to come back for a special session to complete the state’s next two-year budget unless the House quickly accepts the Senate’s plan to bring in $2.6 billion of new non-tax revenue, leaders from both chambers said Tuesday.

DALLAS — A series of financial blows suffered over the past year by the Hallsville Independent School District in East Texas continued Monday as Moody’s Investors Service dropped its unenhanced debt rating to A3 from A1, with a negative outlook.

DALLAS — Amid objections from environmentalists, the Texas Legislature is moving toward expanding a bond-financed radioactive waste dump site in a sparsely populated West Texas county.

DALLAS — A multibillion-dollar series of projects to reshape how travelers get to and through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport have all begun construction, with completion expected to take six years.

DALLAS — Texas voters gave their approval Saturday to almost 70% of the 56 school bond proposals they faced in elections across the state, giving 39 districts the go-ahead to issue new debt.