News and Information from Bond Buyer

A Puerto Rico authority announced advisors for four projects under evaluation as priority P3 projects.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's proposed $13.3 billion includes $261 million in new money for education and $36 million to expand the state prison at Gunnison.

Government

Nine days after downgrading them, Standard & Poor's upgraded six series of Jefferson County, Ala. limited obligation school warrants to investment-grade BBB from D.

A new provision on federal oil and gas production royalties will cost New Mexico $100 million over the next decade, according to the Capitol Report New Mexico.

The Texas Department of Transportation is preparing to open a 15-mile section of the Grand Parkway toll road around metropolitan Houston.

The unemployment rate in Puerto Rico was 14.7% in November, unchanged from October's unemployment rate.

The Lombard, Ill., village board rejected a request to cover a shortfall in the January debt service payment on bonds issued for a hotel and conference center.

Transportation infrastructure funding is at a crossroad in 2014, as lawmakers confront the necessity of finding ways to bolster the rapidly depleting Highway Trust Fund while supporting efforts to ensure the nation's airports and ports maintain a global economic edge.

The Puerto Rico House of Representatives approved an overhaul of the Teachers' Pension Reform on Saturday.

Outflows, weak supply, rising interest rates, and mediocre returns are forecast for the municipal market as it rings in 2014 — in other words: more of the same.

FirstSouthwest is protesting against "restrictive" conditions included in a request for quotations issued by the Greater Texoma Utility Authority in Texas, which said it will only consider proposals from a financial advisor that is independent from a broker-dealer.

Municipals crept into the holiday week with very little trading and largely unchanged yields, traders said on Monday.

California's Legislative Analyst Office said the proposed Pension Reform Act of 2014 could save hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in the long run for the state and local governments.

The Treasury Department Monday auctioned $20 billion of four-week bills at a 0.005% high yield, a price of 99.999611.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were mixed, as the three-months incurred a 0.070% high rate, up from 0.065% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.090% high rate, unchanged from 0.090% the week before.

A decline in Hawaii's unemployment rate will result in a $300 per employee drop in taxes paid by the state's businesses.

A California company that has strived for a decade to build a plant to turn rice straw into fiberboard received another extension from a conduit issuer on plans to issue $175 million in private activity bonds.

The municipal market opened Monday morning with little trading activity and a stable tone.

Colorado's complex constitution will make budget balance a challenge for years to come, according to researchers at Colorado State University.