Southwest

Central Texas transportation planning agency is looking into a proposed aerial tramway system in Austin.

With its fiscal year completed Aug. 31, Texas came up 1.3% short of revenue estimates used to budget for fiscal year 2016, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported.

Oklahoma Treasurer Ken Miller sees no immediate signs of a turnaround as state revenues fall for the 18th straight month in August.

Bonds for three private prisons in Texas suffered downgrades well below junk-bond status from S&P Global Ratings after the U.S. Department of Justice announced plans to discontinue their use.

Kansas revenues continued to fall below forecast in August, running 2.3% or $10.2 million short of expectations.

The Texas Water Development Board expects the market to quickly absorb its $711 million of top-rated revenue bonds.

Caught up in a dispute between county tax appraisers and the bankrupt owner of a nuclear power plant, a tax-supported hospital district in Glen Rose, Texas, has defaulted on its debt payment, according to a disclosure notice.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins’ advocacy for two Dallas-based bond firms in a $168 million issue led to accusations of interference in a process designed to avoid political influence.

After approving a plan to finance $70 billion of projects over the next decade, the Texas Transportation Commission will issue $712 million of bonds in September to take care of current needs.

Matt Gray has joined the Public Finance Department of the Sherman & Howard law firm. He will be working in the company's Denver office.