Southwest

Ratings agencies are awaiting details on the debt structure of the combined St. Luke's Episcopal Health System of Texas and Colorado-based Catholic Health Initiatives before issuing an opinion on the $2 billion deal.

El Paso could alter its annual contributions to a city pension fund under bills filed with the Texas Legislature

Retaining a sales tax rate set to drop July 1 could help offset additional state aid to local school districts if Kansas loses a school finance lawsuit.

State revenues are expected to fall 12% in fiscal 2014 as a result of tax cuts enacted by the 2012 Legislature.

Central Arkansas Transit Authority has the legal ability to issue tax-exempt bonds, but not the revenue to support the debt.

Arkansas lawmakers are expected this week to adopt a $4.93 billion general fund budget for fiscal 2014.

Phoenix's 2% sales tax on food, which is set to expire in 2015, would drop to 1% in 2014 under a proposal by two members of the city council.

Houston is issuing debt to raze derelict housing left behind by the city's rapid growth as part of a $332 million bond issue this week.

Rising costs and legislative cuts to funding may add strain to underlying ratings of Texas, according to special report from Standard & Poor's.

A team of El Paso, Texas, officials and advisors spent last week traveling to New York and Washington, D.C., to trumpet their planned nearly half a billion dollar bond-financed overhaul of the city's downtown area, which they see as a major game-changer for their region.