Southeast

Louisiana collected $721.9 million in state taxes in June, up from $695 million in May, according to the latest monthly report from the Department of Revenue.

Louisiana must move quickly to avoid damage to its Medicaid program resulting from a sooner-than-expected end to federal assistance, state Treasurer John Kennedy said last week in outlining a 14-step plan.

Voters in nine of 12 districts in Georgia Tuesday rejected raising the sales tax by 1% to pay for billions in transportation improvements. In the 11-county Atlanta region, among the most congested in the state, 62.6% of voters said no.

Two high-profile local governmental entities in Florida last week agreed to accept settlements as part of the $65.5 million multi-state agreement over JPMorgan's alleged bid-rigging actions with regard to derivatives.

Jefferson County, Ala., has hired George Tablack as its new CFO.

A trustee and an insurer for Jefferson County's defaulted general obligation warrants Tuesday objected to a motion asking the federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy case to set a deadline for the county to file a plan of adjustment for its debts.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley Monday added another $78.3 million in road and bridge projects to $138.5 million already approved as part of the state's largest-ever transportation funding program. The projects are part of a $650 million program to be financed with grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds.

Voters across Georgia head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to raise the sales tax by 1% over the next decade to pay for transportation projects. The tax will raise more than $18 billion over 10 years.

The Southeast's largest public water and sewer system needs $1.1 billion in repairs, according to a report to the Miami-Dade, Fla., County Commission this week.

Atlanta area political and business leaders have a solution to traffic that's ranked among the worst in the U.S.: Ask voters to approve a sales tax increase to raise $8.5 billion over a decade for roads and public transportation.