News and Information from Bond Buyer

The Internal Revenue Service has recently closed two audits of bonds issued in Colorado with no change to the bonds' tax-exempt statuses.

State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg wants lawmakers to increase the Massachusetts lottery advertising budget by 25% to offset casino competition.

The municipal bond market is already looking ahead to next week — when the state of Pennsylvania will return to head the new issue calendar as it sells the $1 billion general obligation bond offering which was snowed under this week.

The University of Michigan's final January consumer sentiment index reading was 98.1, compared to the preliminary January 98.2, and the final December 93.6, according to market sources.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer rose to 59.4 in January from 58.8 in December, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Friday.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business declined to 51.6 in January from 57.6 in December, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Friday.

The Midwest Economy Index grew to 0.67 in December from a revised 0.43 in November, first reported as 0.52, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Friday.

California's recovery resulted from reduced spending, not just higher revenues, according to a Standard & Poor's report.

Jan. 30, 2015 Far West: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Alaska Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.14 0.95 1.8 2.59 California Aa3/A/A 0.16 1.01 1.94 2.84 Hawaii Aa2/AA/AA 0.15 1.02 1.95 2.73 Idaho Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.14 1.04 1.93 2.73 Montana Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.14 1.03 1.94 2.75 Nevada Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.17 1.07 1.98 2.79 Oregon Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.14 0.98 1.84 2.67 Washington Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.14 1.06 1.97 2.81 Wyoming NR/AAA/NR 0.14 1.02 1.85 2.64

1/29/2015 1/22/2015 State # Iss Amount ($000) # Iss Amount ($000) Chg in Amt ($000) Alaska 1 108,680 0 0 108,680 California 15 1,053,787 11 927,455 126,332 Hawaii 0 0 1 178,535 ?178,535 Idaho 0 0 1 4,715 ?4,715 Montana 0 0 0 0 0 Nevada 3 73,380 2 68,380 5,000 Oregon 1 8,200 0 0 8,200 Washington 3 471,375 9 1,006,005 ?534,630 Wyoming 0 0 0 0 0

Friday, January 30 Issuer St Description Amount

Monday, February 2 Issuer St Description Amount

Friday, January 30 Issuer St Description Amount

CONNECTICUT

ALABAMA

Republicans now control both the governor's office and legislature in six of the eight states in The Bond Buyer’s Southwest region.

Government

A proposal in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 2015 executive budget to allow the Long Island Power Authority to securitize an additional $2.5 billion of debt is a credit positive for the utility, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Oil-dependent Kern County, Calif. declared a fiscal emergency Tuesday anticipating a shortfall with oil prices down; one-third of the county's property tax revenues come from oil companies.

Newly inaugurated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not face prosecution from the embattled Travis County District Attorney's office for violating state securities law.