Southwest

Issuers in the eight-state region sold $103.3 billion of bonds last year, with Texas deals accounting for $68.13 billion of the debt.

Moody's is the latest rating agency to warn about a budget squeeze for Texas schools, which have been prolific issuers of voter-approved bonds in recent years.

The South San Antonio Independent School District, which has had a state conservator, will now get a state-appointed board of managers and superintendent.

A charter school in San Antonio is expected to close at the end of the year, jeopardizing $25 million of municipal bonds the institution borrowed in 2022.

The state will have less money to spend in the upcoming fiscal year, according to projections certified in a process criticized by Oklahoma's attorney general.

Texas officials are eying ways to protect a massive state-funded school property tax cut from being eroded by local bond issues and tax increases.

The rating for Baylor Scott & White Health in Texas was upgraded, while Presbyterian Healthcare Services in New Mexico was downgraded by Moody's.

The study comes as the city faces a growing structural budget deficit and shrinking reserves that led to negative bond rating outlooks.

Governors in the drought-prone region are asking their legislatures for funding to boost future water supply or to repair aging water infrastructure.

The Lone Star State is expected to add 225,000 jobs in 2025, down from 244,000 last year, according to the Dallas Federal Reserve's annual forecast.