Southeast

Louisiana now pegs its official mid-year deficit at $304 million, a number that is complicating the state’s ability to issue new debt.

Incoming Trump administration officials ask Virginia for a list of infrastructure projects with their own revenue source.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam rolled out legislation Wednesday that would cut taxes and increase transportation funding for the first time in 28 years.

With a privately owned passenger train service just months away from starting up in south Florida, opponents told a federal judge it would be inequitable to dismiss their lawsuits because of a “backroom” deal involving public financing for the project.

A significant increase in Birmingham, Ala.’s pension liabilities led Fitch Ratings to cut the city’s issuer default and bond ratings by one notch to AA-minus, and to revise the rating outlook to negative.

Louisiana’s economists projected Friday the state’s budget shortfall will be as high as $313 million, prompting Gov. John Bel Edwards to say the deficit clearly indicates the need for special legislative session.

A nearly $50 billion budget for Georgia in fiscal 2018 has been recommended by Gov. Nathan Deal, who is also requesting $1 billion of borrowing for state projects, education and transportation.

Kentucky’s credit outlook was revised to negative ahead of an upcoming bond deal, a change S&P Global Ratings said was triggered by the state’s unfunded pension obligations.

An eventful year lies ahead for Louisiana with a special legislative session potentially necessary to address yet another budget shortfall and continued recovery efforts from last year’s disastrous floods.

Ben Watkins, director of Florida’s Division of Bond Finance, will receive the third annual Jim Lebenthal Infrastructure Champion award at The Bond Buyer's National Outlook Conference in New York Jan. 31.