Southwest

The Texas State Securities Board has named John Morgan as the new state securities commissioner.

The North Texas Tollway Authority board has agreed to pay legal fees for board member David Denison, who is involved in an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Dodge City is considering using sales tax and revenue bonds, or STAR bonds, to lure more tourists.

With a new bond-financed spring training facility for the Chicago Cubs in the planning stages, Mesa could keep the venerable Hohokam Stadium operating with the Oakland Athletics as tenant.

A federal indictment of former El Paso County, Texas, Judge Anthony Cobos implicates financial advisor Coastal Securities in a fraud scheme surrounding a $40 million bond refunding in 2007.

The Texas Tech University System will get the Southwest bond market rolling with $198 million of revenue bonds after a lean year for higher education.

A coalition of 63 Texas school districts, including some of the largest in the state, filed a lawsuit Dec. 22 contending the current system for financing public education is unconstitutional.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said last week that the state must repair and maintain its capitol building in Oklahoma City despite the outlook for a flat general fund budget in fiscal 2013.

The Oklahoma Board of Equalization last week adopted an official revenue estimate for fiscal 2013 that will give budget writers $400 million more than was available for the fiscal 2012 budget.

Leaders of the Democratic minority in the Kansas Legislature have proposed a 14-point job growth plan that would be financed with gambling revenue rather than the general fund.