News and Information from Bond Buyer

California’s unemployment rate now sits at its lowest since February 2008 and year-to-date revenues are $474 million above the forecasted $13.36 billion, according to the state’s latest finance bulletin released Wednesday.

The Milwaukee Common Council is expected to consider at its meeting Sept. 22 the use of $47 million in public funds to help finance a new $500 million arena for National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Nassau County, N.Y. Executive Ed Mangano proposed a 2016 budget that if adopted would raise property taxes on the large Long Island municipality by 1.2%.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker announced this week that he convened a meeting of the state's business leaders to discuss Alaska's fiscal future and how to reduce its multi-billion dollar budget deficit.

Standard & Poor’s view of the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics Authority’s A-plus credit has brightened.

Connecticut is accepting applications for a new grant program designed to help communities plan for remediating and redeveloping clusters of brownfield sites.

The Internal Revenue Service is conducting a targeted audit of $200 million of recovery zone economic development bonds issued in 2010 by the Wayne County Building Authority in Michigan to finance a jail facility that was never completed.

Shreveport, La.’s general obligation bond rating was dropped to A2 from A1 by Moody's Investors Service due to weak liquidity and the use of reserves.

Securities and Exchange Commission top cop Andrew Ceresney and a Justice Department official warned legislators on Wednesday that a bill to update the Electronic Communication Privacy Act of 1986 could hurt their enforcement programs.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds finished weaker on Wednesday, traders said, with yields on some maturities increasing one basis point.

A federal class action lawsuit settlement between a group of bondholders that invested in a failed Missouri sucralose plant and the financial firms involved in the $39 million bond deal is nearing final approval.

Moody's Investors Service has upgraded the rating on Lower Providence Township Sewer Authority, Pa.'s guaranteed sewer revenue bonds to Aa2 from Aa3.

North Carolina legislators have unveiled a compromise general fund budget for the 2016-2017 biennium with final votes slated this week in order to send it to the governor by Friday.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are rated as the most infrastructure-friendly candidates in the 2016 presidential field.

Moody's Investors Service upgraded Fresno, Calif.'s issuer rating to A3 from Baa1 and revised the city’s outlook from stable to positive citing its improved economic profile.

California’s public power utilities could face additional financial pressure over the medium to long term from the passage of new state legislation targeting greenhouse gas emissions, Fitch Rating said.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds weakened slightly at mid-session, traders said, with yields on some maturities strengthening by as much as a basis point.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its rating on Massachusetts Development Finance Agency's $70.7 million series 2010H bonds issued for Winchester Hospital, a subsidiary of the Lahey Health System, to A from A-minus.

Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes was higher as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index rose to 62 in September from 61 in August.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual CPI July: +0.1% Aug.: unch Aug.: -0.1% CPI Core July: +0.1% Aug.: +0.1% Aug.: +0.1% NAHB Housing Index Aug.: 61 Sept.: 61 Sept.: 62