Southwest

Oklahoma's top income rate will go to 5% on Jan. 1, 2015, from the current 5.25% with final passage of a tax bill.

Colorado's $20.5 billion budget signed into law this week by Gov. John Hickenlooper provides $188 million for capital construction that is expected to be funded by bonds.

A bill that would have provided $2 billion of bonds from the Texas rainy day fund for water projects appeared dead in the state House after a procedural move by opponents.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Texas' right to draw water from Oklahoma could have a major impact on interstate water compacts across the nation, experts said.

Johnson County Unified School District 233 will build a new high school in Olathe if voters approve a $244.8 million bond referendum in a mail-in election.

Quick legislative action on $202 million of state revenue bonds for a biodefense laboratory may avoid higher costs later, Gov. Sam Brownback said last week.

Arkansas will use federal Medicaid funds to purchase health insurance for an additional 250,000 low-income residents under a new pilot program.

Mesa will exhaust the $170 million of GO bonds approved by voters in 2008 with a $60 million sale.

Kansas may issue another $202 million of state bonds to finance a national biological defense laboratory at Kansas State University.

Austin is considering a plan to lease its airport to finance a light rail system, a move that would allow the city to bypass bonds for an inaugural 5.5-mile transit line.