Washington

An Oregon delegation led by Treasurer Ted Wheeler met with White House officials last week to discuss a new exchange for regional infrastructure projects.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber said the $3.4 billion Columbia River Crossing bridge project will die if Washington lawmakers try to kill light-rail from the proposal, according to reports.

Moody's Investors Service issued a report on Wednesday that examined the local governments and school districts that rely on federal employment, procurement, Medicare reimbursement and education grants that would be most affected by sequestration.

Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., will not seek reelection in 2014.

George Canellos and Andrew Ceresney have been named co-directors of the Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division — the first time the SEC will has had two leaders of the group.

SIFMA urged a House Ways and Means tax reform working group to leave municipal bonds alone and warned that tax credit bonds as an alternative are not an effective option.

Frank Shafroth on Friday left the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, where he was director of legislative affairs and intergovernmental relationships, to focus on his post at George Mason University.

A team of El Paso, Texas, officials and advisors spent last week traveling to New York and Washington, D.C., to trumpet their planned nearly half a billion dollar bond-financed overhaul of the city's downtown area, which they see as a major game-changer for their region.

Twelve organizations representing the 501(c)(3) bond community submitted comments to a House Ways and Means tax reform working group urging them to protect tax-exempt bond financing.

A report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials details the funding plans of 30 states, including some creative options.

Despite economic growth, the majority of public finance sectors still face a negative outlook for the remainder of 2013, according to a new Moody's Investors Service report.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined a firm $37,500 for trade and books and records violations, and a broker $5,000, giving him a four-month suspension, for telling a customer he redeemed bonds rather than sold them without the customer's permission.

The Internal Revenue Service is requesting public comment on existing rules governing when tax-exempt bond proceeds used for reimbursement of expenditures.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has published an introductory guide to its Electronic Municipal Market Access, or EMMA, website for state and local issuers of municipal bonds.

Despite his entitlement reform proposals intended to serve as a bargaining chip with Republicans, President Obama's 2014 budget is dead on arrival primarily due to a provision to raise $580 billion in new tax revenues as made clear during two key congressional hearings Thursday.

President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget again proposed a 28% cap on tax expenditures including municipal bond interest for the top 2% of income earners, despite efforts by muni market participants lobbying against the proposal.

The National Federation of Municipal Analysts said Wednesday they have filed an amicus curiae brief in California Superior Court in support of a lawsuit filed by insurer Syncora Guarantee over laws extinguishing redevelopment agencies in the state.

The Bond Dealers of America have hired Urban Swirski and Associates to advocate for the group's legislative and policy priorities, BDA announced Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration has delayed closing 149 air traffic control towers until June 15, including 14 in Florida — the largest number of facilities affected in one state.

Mary Jo White has been sworn in as the new chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC announced Wednesday.