Washington DC

The Supreme Court decision that changes the provisions in the Voting Rights Act adds legal risk for state and local governments.

Public finance professionals need to contemplate uncertainty as they work with municipal issuers to help them plan and meet their needs.

Changes in federal funding are sharpening the focus on how the states will be responding to disaster relief, running social programs and budget planning.

The Trump administration also proposed deep cuts to the state revolving funds in its 2026 budget, which Congress rejected.

FEMA reform has stopped and started on Capitol Hill as local governments welcome a rule requiring the agency to build a dashboard to track the flow of disaster recovery funds.

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority is applying for a reimbursement from the federal government for repair costs to a broken water line that flooded the Potomac River with raw sewage.

Muni advocates are actively working on championing a bill that would address a wish list of provisions designed to boost bond sales.

Doubts are emerging on Capitol Hill about when a surface transportation reauthorization may arrive and what effect, if any, it will have on the beleaguered Highway Trust Fund.

The board also approved issuing a request for comment relating to disclosure documents for 529 plans and other municipal fund securities.

The department has hit its $30 billion limit on transportation private activity bonds and there's a large pipeline of public-private partnerships across the country.

The Federal Railroad Administration is embracing a pro-business approach regarding emerging technology and funding rail crossing improvements.

"Clearly, issuers still need access to this very important financing tool," said State of Michigan Treasurer Rachael Eubanks, who also serves as this year's president of the National Association of State Treasurers.

The administration's effort to revitalize the maritime industry includes opportunities for public-private partnerships.

Muni advocates are watching Congress move towards a second reconciliation bill that may not require any provisions that pay for funding DHS, and the possibility of a third, tax-focused bill.

"Retiring these terms eliminates unnecessary ambiguities associated with their use in MSRB rules," MSRB Board Vice Chair Wendell Gaertner said.

From Jan. 1, 2020 through mid April of this year, borrowers using conduit issuers accounted 87% of payment defaults by number in the muni market, Municipal Market Analytics' Matt Fabian said.

Moody's Ratings announced a stable rating outlook for Washington, D.C., good news for a city reeling from federal job cuts and gearing up for a mayoral race.

The authority that runs the Dulles airport plans bond sales and public private partnerships to keep the facility competitive amid Trump administration interest.

The IRS has sent a material event notice to the Hennepin Schools Building Company regarding the tax-exempt status of revenue bonds issued in 2021based on the non-filing of IRS form 990.

Separately, the surface transportation bill could see a markup on April 29.