Southeast

BRADENTON, Fla. — A bill moving swiftly through the Florida Senate could threaten the fiscal stability of the state's 67 public school districts and endanger funds that already secure bonds, according to school officials and some lawmakers.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Facing a 25% shortfall in the general fund, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said during his state of the state address Tuesday night that he would not raise taxes.

The University System of Georgia is consolidating eight of the state's 35 colleges and universities in a move that may be replicated around the country as higher education institutions continue to deal with state budget cuts.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said two major energy initiatives that would bring new revenues to the state and create thousands of jobs are moving forward in separate federal approval processes.

The underfunded retirement system that provides pensions for police officers of the Port of New Orleans could run out of money in 2020, the Louisiana legislative auditor’s office said in a report issued Monday. It said the Harbor Police Retirement System was only 56% funded as of fiscal 2010, with benefit liabilities of $21.3 million and assets of $11.8 million.

The Louisiana Legislature has significant leeway on when it has to reimburse the state’s rainy-day fund, under a ruling last week from Judge Kay Bates in favor of the state.

Two Kentucky senators are co-sponsoring a bill that would ban tolls on existing Interstates, according to the Courier-Journal.

The Georgia Legislature is considering a $300 million infusion of additional gas tax funds to shore up funding to build the first phase of the West by Northwest traffic-congestion relief project around Atlanta.

Phil Allen, a veteran finance official in Florida and the director of Port Everglades, retired Feb. 3.

Jefferson County, Ala., said it has not used sewer system revenues for unauthorized expenses as alleged by the trustee for the county's $3.14 billion of defaulted sewer warrants.