Southeast

DALLAS — The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee has backed an 11-point outline of how the state should finance transportation projects.

DALLAS — Louisiana state senators have endorsed key elements of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s fiscal plan for dealing with a revenue shortfall estimated at $3 billion over the next two fiscal years.

WASHINGTON — The North Carolina Senate yesterday passed a $451 million bond package for its state university and community college systems as some legislators emphasized the importance of education investment even in the face of a large budget deficit.

WASHINGTON — The South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority next week expects to price $100 million of homeownership revenue bonds in its first issuance under the Treasury Department’s New Issue Bond Program.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Broward County in southeast Florida later this month plans to sell $220.2 million of revenue bonds, most of which will be taxable Build America Bonds. The deal represents the county’s first use of BABs and the first time it will leverage a local half-cent sales tax.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Friday signed into law a $70 billion budget for fiscal 2011.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida last week received $66.6 million out of $80 million in federal grants distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation for high-speed rail development.

WASHINGTON — Virginia is reviewing its public-private partnership program to ensure the state can most efficiently leverage private funds as its transportation revenues have dwindled amid the economic recession.

DALLAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday he would attempt to negotiate a budget dispute that is hampering the state’s efforts to deal with a revenue shortfall in fiscal 2010.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Nashville’s consolidated government next week is selling between $575 million and $775 million of new-money and advance refunding general obligation bonds to finance capital projects and restructure outstanding debt to avoid tax hikes and budget cuts.