Southwest

Dallas’ growing pension problems brought two recent downgrades amid a wave of lump-sum withdrawals from the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System by retired officers and firefighters.

Two voter opinion polls differ on the likely outcome of Austin's $720 million mobility bond referendum.

Oklahoma’s September revenue collections were the lowest for the month since 2010, state Treasurer Ken Miller reported.

Dallas’ growing pension problems led Fitch Ratings to downgrade the city’s $1.7 billion of general obligation debt to AA from AA-plus.

Oklahoma’s Grand River Dam Authority will seek savings through a $460 million advance refunding as the wholesale power provider nears completion of a gas-fired generating unit and repairs another plant damaged by fire.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will propose a highway funding plan to the 2017 General Assembly that includes a gas tax hike.

Texas recorded its lowest September sales tax collections since 2013 as the revenue fell 3.9% below the same month last year, according to state Comptroller Glenn Hegar. It was the fifth straight month of decline.

Kansas revenues ran $45 million below projections in September, continuing a trend of shortfalls expected to cause more fiscal belt tightening. The latest announcement comes as Democrats are targeting Brownback’s policies one month ahead of the general election.

Three more private detention centers in Texas lost their investment-grade ratings in the wake of a new federal policy aimed at halting use of the for-profit facilities.

The University of Arkansas will join the college football stadium arms race with a $115 million bond issue for the Razorbacks’ home field.