Southwest

The first outline of a spending plan from the Texas Legislative Budget Board calls for deep cuts in public education, programs for the needy, and criminal justice, while preserving a $9.4 billion rainy-day fund.

DALLAS — Trustees of the Socorro Independent School District may ask voters in May to approve a $297 million general obligation bond program to build new facilities for the fast-growing system in El Paso County, Texas.

DALLAS — Faced with a weakening municipal debt market, Glendale, Ariz., is considering a private placement for up to $125 million of revenue bonds to keep the Phoenix Coyotes playing hockey in the city-owned Jobing.com arena.

DALLAS — Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will launch a seven-year project to remodel its four original ­terminals next month. But despite the $2.3 billion cost, officials do not expect 2011 to be a year of heavy bond issuance for new money.

DALLAS — Kansas Gov. Sam ­Brownback delivered a proposed fiscal 2012 budget to lawmakers Thursday that would trim spending by $876.4 million.

DALLAS — Oklahoma general fund revenues came in higher than expected in December, with sales tax collections ­leading the way.

DALLAS — Denver’s Regional Transportation District is considering asking voters for a 0.4% sales tax increase this year or next to complete the $6.7 billion FasTracks project currently under construction.

DALLAS — Newly inaugurated ­Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper issued three executive orders designed to ­improve the economy Tuesday as the evenly ­divided General Assembly prepared to open its 2011 legislative session.

DALLAS — Arkansas House Speaker Robert Moore opened the 86th General Assembly by asking lawmakers Monday to adequately fund a proposed road plan that could involve more than $2 billion of bonds.

DALLAS — Texas lawmakers will open their 2011 legislative session Tuesday with a projected budget gap of $27 billion under the revenue estimates from Comptroller Susan Combs.