Southeast

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Kentucky Legislature Monday begins a special session called by Gov. Steve Beshear after legislators failed to pass a transportation budget last week.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a $422 million TIFIA loan for construction of a new midtown tunnel and rehabilitation of existing tunnels in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va.

WASHINGTON — Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala., have the highest combined state and local tax rates, at 10%, among major U.S. cities, a new report found.

BRADENTON, Fla. — As a hearing continued in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday to determine what amount of sewer revenues will go to pay debt, Jefferson County said in a filing that it is pursuing avenues to set sewer rates and has hired a consultant.

BRADENTON, Fla. — As Atlanta plans to open its new $1.4 billion international terminal next month, the city is moving forward with other projects at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson said Monday that the state and local governments are doing a better job of reporting financial information in a timely manner.

A bill proposed by Louisiana Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, would allow an ailing member of the Revenue Estimating Conference to designate an interim stand-in, and avoid a potential delay in revenue estimates needed to develop the state budget.

Tampa Bay Water, a regional supplier for three counties on the west coast of Florida, counted on winning $100 million for what it claimed was a faulty reservoir design.

With less than two weeks left in the 2012 legislative session, Alabama lawmakers have yet to consider bills that would provide fiscal relief to Jefferson County, the state's most populous county and home to Birmingham.

Tuesday afternoon the Birmingham News reported a federal district judge ruled that the county's creditors could appeal the county's eligibility to file for Chapter 9.