Southwest

A political action group has been established to oppose a plan to increase the Arkansas severance tax on natural gas that could be on the November 2012 ballot.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe used his Saturday radio address to ask voters to support a $575 million road bond plan in the Nov. 8 special election.

DALLAS - Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe urges voters in a 30-second television ad being aired statewide to renew a $575 million Garvee highway bond program at next week's special election.

DALLAS - With financing already in place, the Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday agreed to begin seeking design-build credentials for an $815 million network of interstate highway interchanges and bridges in Dallas.

DALLAS - The University of Colorado Board of Regents will have $1.4 billion of outstanding debt after this week's $203 million enterprise revenue bond issue, according to analysts.

DALLAS - Two members of the North Texas Tollway Authority board are expected to submit resignations unrelated to a current Federal Bureau of Investigation probe of the board's business practices, according to reports.

DALLAS - School districts across Texas are lining up to join one of three filed or anticipated lawsuits that contend the state's system for funding public education is unconstitutional.

DALLAS - With its population expected to nearly double to 46 million in 50 years, Texas is confronting one factor that could impede that growth: a shortage of water and the money needed to keep it flowing.

A proposed $158 million bond issue in the Lake Travis Independent School District is drawing opposition from a group that claims the debt would be too large for the district.

Former Oklahoma House Speaker Chris Benge told a legislative panel last week that the state should not eliminate its income tax without finding another revenue source.