Washington DC

Sources say pricing of bonds will be a prevalent issue in 2021 following comments made by bipartisan SEC commissioners.

The Treasury and IRS have only granted a few of the National Association of Bond Lawyers' requests for pandemic-related regulatory relief.

The program has drawn comparisons to the Securities and Exchange Commission's MCDC.

The MSRB is planning to overhaul existing rules in 2021, while stakeholders will lobby the SEC for and against reviving a registration exemption for muni advisors.

Republican Commissioner Elad Roisman was named SEC acting chair and is unlikely to push any major initiatives in his short time, but he does have a focus on fixed income markets.

Tuesday's decision keeps the trial process rolling along, progress the accused banks were hoping to halt with their appeal.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa's ask seems unlikely given that tax law originates in the House and incoming President Joe Biden's proposals to increase taxes.

Public finance groups are optimistic 2021 will be a breakthrough year for federal tax law changes to help spur the use of tax-advantaged bonds.

Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said state officers pivoted quickly as the coronavirus pandemic escalated.

Sources see ways to get more investment in infrastructure with municipal bond provisions, but bipartisanship will be essential.

Thirty-five states reported general fund collections for fiscal 2020 from came in lower than original budget projections.

The firm violated municipal advertising and fair dealing rules, the SEC found.

Fitch Ratings said Tuesday the $900 billion “will help stabilize state and local budgets in fiscal 2021 even if it does not include direct aid to most governments.”

SEC Chair Clayton told Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., late last week that he expects the program to sunset at year's end as scheduled.

"If you bankrupt the states, you bankrupt the country,” said NGA Chairman Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York.

Congress is set to pass a major $900 billion relief bill on Monday after getting over a significant hurdle from Senate Republicans seeking to restrict the Federal Reserve’s powers next year.

Multiple news articles, which the SEC did not include, contradict the commission's major reasoning for why a temporary exemption for municipal advisors was needed, SIFMA said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested state and local governments would use stimulus to shore up pension plans.

FINRA announced the settlement this week, in which RBC agreed to a censure while neither admitting nor denying FINRA’s findings that it violated Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rule G-27 on supervision. RBC was not fined.

AAPA contends Congress should provide aid to ports as the industry has been hammered by COVID-19.