News and Information from Bond Buyer

Final closing for the purchase of the Harrisburg, Pa., incinerator by Lancaster County is set for Dec. 23 after the agency sold about $130 million of bonds to fund the transaction.

North Dakota, enjoying the largest oil boom in its history, won a coveted triple-A rating from Standard & Poor's Friday.

A controversial $1.3 billion toll road linking Indiana and Illinois advanced last week when an Indiana planning council approved the plan.

The Foothill-Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency achieved its stated goal of reducing debt payments by $975 million through 2040 with a $2.3 billion refinancing that priced late in the day on Dec. 12.

With Florida's economy on the upswing, Gov. Rick Scott wants to lower most motor vehicle taxes and fees hiked during the downturn to support the budget.

The democratic caucus of the California State Assembly has released a "budget blueprint" for next year that includes boosting higher education spending and creating a rainy day fund.

It will be a busy week in Detroit, with the federal judge considering to key financings that have sparked major opposition from the muni market, as well as whether creditors can appeal the recent eligibility ruling.

Unresolved labor contracts for all of New York City’s municipal unions are posing a big financial risk for the city in the years ahead, Comptroller John Liu warns in the “State of the City’s Economy and Finances: report released on Friday.

Municipal bond participants have noticed light trading in the secondary market early Friday afternoon, but spy continued interest there in the week's new issues.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has requested public comment on whether to require dealers to ensure that their municipal securities staff receive annual muni bond training.

For new Mayor Bill de Blasio, managing New York City's finances will involve more than the well-known challenges expired labor contracts and soaring health premiums.

Muni bond mutual funds struggled through their 29th straight week of outflows, at $1.90 billion for the week ended Dec. 11.

Additional guidance from the SEC should provide some clarity to how the proposed trading restrictions under its new municipal advisor registration rule apply to municipal issuers, a securities industry official said.

Robert Rizzo, former city manager of Bell, Calif., agreed on Thursday to plead guilty to federal charges of tax evasion.

The municipal bond market adopted a stronger tenor out of the gate Friday morning on light activity.

Illinois saw its yield penalties reduced in its first bond sale after lawmakers passed legislation aimed at stabilizing its underfunded pension system.

WASHINGTON (MNI) - The November producer price data were tame overall, about as expected, and have no implications for consumer prices.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual Import Prices Oct.: -0.7% Nov.: -0.4% Nov.: -0.6% Initial Jobless Claims Nov. 30: 298,000 Dec. 7: 335,000 Dec. 7: 368,000 Continuing Claims Nov. 23: 2.744M 'Nov. 30: 2.751M 'Nov. 30: 2.791M Retail Sales Oct.: +0.4% Nov.: +0.3% Nov.: +0.7% ex-Autos Oct.: +0.2% Nov.: +0.2% Nov.: +0.4% Business Inventories Sept.: +0.6% Oct.: +0.4% Oct.: +0.7%

Dec. 13, 2013 Far West: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Alaska Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.17 1.18 2.72 4.18 California A1/A/A+ 0.19 1.38 3.21 4.81 Hawaii Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.17 1.29 2.94 4.38 Idaho Aa1/AA+/NR 0.19 1.31 2.96 4.43 Montana Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.19 1.32 2.94 4.39 Nevada Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.22 1.38 3.06 4.55 Oregon Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.17 1.24 2.83 4.29 Washington Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.2 1.3 2.96 4.4 Wyoming NR/AAA/NR 0.17 1.26 2.82 4.26