Washington

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is aiming to make progress on a number of high-profile projects during its board meeting next week including markup and bank loan disclosure as well as a new municipal advisor complaint system and plans to improve EMMA.

Strong infrastructure investment could greatly benefit the U.S. Here are numerous examples over 10 key areas.

Republicans delegates adopted a 2016 platform at their national convention in Cleveland that supports statehood for Puerto Rico, but not for the District of Columbia. The GOP also wants to abolish the Internal Revenue Service, overhaul the federal tax code, and expand the use of P3s for infrastructure projects.

Nearly everyone agrees that modern, well-maintained infrastructure is a huge benefit to the country, but making those investments has become politically divisive. What if that controversy didn't exist?

Dougherty & Co. was hit with the largest Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fine of its kind in recent years after the firm agreed to pay $50,000 for serving as an underwriter for 54 issuers with which it had ongoing "blanket" financial advisory agreements.

A repeal of the tax exemption for municipal bonds would cost state and local governments an additional $495 billion in interest over a ten-year period, Bond Dealers of America told Congress recently.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is providing some new information about muni trades on its Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) system.

The House approved an appropriations bill that would reduce funds for the Internal Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the District of Columbia for fiscal 2017, which begins on Oct. 1.

Three state Republican parties challenging the constitutionality of a revised Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board anti-pay-to-play rule are asking a federal circuit court to streamline the legal process by consolidating their two pending cases.

The House Republican blueprint for tax reform introduced last month would result in a 9.1% higher GDP over the long term, 7.7% higher wages and 1.7 million more full-time equivalent jobs, the Tax Foundation said on Tuesday.

Gas taxes rose in Maryland and Washington with the beginning of fiscal 2017, while they dropped in three other states.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to approve rule changes that would create a new academic trade product with anonymous dealer identifiers that has proved somewhat controversial.

Revenue estimates for the District of Columbia's fiscal 2016-2020 budget and capital plan remain nearly unchanged from the district's February estimate, D.C.'s chief financial officer said this week.

Virginia is seeking a $200 million federal grant to help fund its $1.4 billion Atlantic Gateway mobility effort.

The Senate is poised to pass the Puerto Rico rescue bill after clearing what many say was the final hurdle for the legislation on Wednesday morning, invoking cloture by a vote of 68 to 32.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew added to the pressure for quick passage of a Puerto Rico rescue bill in a letter to the Senate leadership on Monday, even as some public finance professionals maintain the bill is unnecessary and could be harmful for the commonwealth.

The House GOP blueprint for tax reform released Friday sparked mixed reactions in Congress, with leading Democrats criticizing its lack of detail and Republicans lauding its proposed pro-growth efforts through limits on deductions, exclusions and credits in the current tax code.

The District of Columbia submitted its enacted $13.4 billion fiscal 2017 budget and 2017-2020 capital plan to Congress and President Obama Wednesday, defying Republican legislation that would curtail any such action without congressional approval.

No single individual played a more critical role in defending the authority of cities, counties, and states to issue state and municipal debt.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a fiscal 2017 appropriations bill that would maintain current funding levels for both the Internal Revenue Service and Securities and Exchange Commission as well as increase federal funding for the District of Columbia.