Southeast

BRADENTON, Fla. — Standard & Poor’s Tuesday said it removed Jefferson County, Ala.’s sewer and general obligation warrants from negative credit watch. The agency affirmed its C rating on the sewer warrants with a negative outlook and its B rating on the GOs with a “developing” outlook.

DALLAS — The largest business lobby in Louisiana will fight Gov. Bobby Jindal’s efforts to loosen constraints on two constitutionally protected state funds.

WASHINGTON — North Carolina today expects to competitively sell $487.7 million of general obligation bonds, its first new-money GOs in three years.

DALLAS —The Louisiana Legislature convened Monday for a three-month session that will focus on how to deal with a projected revenue decline of $1.7 billion in fiscal 2011 that could grow larger.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Tennessee’s Division of Local Finance will merge with the Division of Bond Finance on Thursday, state Comptroller Justin Wilson announced yesterday.

A year ago, Florida Division of Bond Finance director Ben Watkins was one of the biggest skeptics of Build America Bonds, mostly because the taxable debt structure didn’t fit into the tax-exempt mold.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Miami will close out fiscal 2009 with a $53.6 million deficit and faces a projected deficit of $28 million by the end of the current fiscal year if actions are not taken to cut the budget, commissioners learned late last week.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida’s largest ever public-private partnership — a $1.8 billion, limited-access toll road in Jacksonville — will begin moving forward soon.

DALLAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday ordered state agencies and departments under his control to halt nonessential spending in light of a looming revenue shortfall in fiscal 2010.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Three Louisiana issuers have seen movement in their federal lawsuits against insurers and underwriters that were involved with their failed variable- and auction-rate securities.