Southeast

Sales and vehicle tax revenue in East Baton Rouge Parish fell 4% in June from last year, continuing a string of skimpy collections since the start of 2010.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue named Tommy Hills on Monday as the state's new treasurer, effective Sept. 1. Hills has been the state's first-ever chief financial officer since 2003. He succeeds retiring Dan Ebersole, who served 13 years.

Jefferson County commissioners last week hired Warren, Averett, Kimbrough & Marino LLC to audit fiscal year 2008, which ended Sept. 30, 2008.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley signed an executive order last week capping compensation for lawyers representing the state just hours before Attorney General Troy King filed two lawsuits against BP PLC and other companies for negligence in the Gulf oil disaster.

North Carolina Tuesday expects to competitively price $494.6 million of general obligation refunding bonds, taking advantage of record-low tax-exempt interest rates to exit interest-rate swaps.

WASHINGTON — The South Carolina Department of Transportation is challenging the Connector 2000 Association Inc.’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, delaying efforts to restructure $369 million of the agency’s toll road bonds that went into default at the beginning of the year.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Kentucky Asset/Liability Commission on Wednesday expects to price $468 million of taxable notes to refinance obligations the state owes to the Teachers’ Retirement System for medical benefits.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Alabama Attorney General Troy King late Thursday filed lawsuits against BP PLC and BP America Inc. as well as drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. and related companies for their roles in the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The South Florida Water Management District unanimously approved a plan Thursday to pay nearly $200 million in cash, instead of using bond financing, to purchase U.S. Sugar Corp. land for Everglades restoration projects.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Former Birmingham Mayor and Jefferson County commissioner Larry Langford said Wednesday that his conviction should be reversed, mail fraud counts against him dismissed due to insufficient evidence, and he should be given a new trial.