"I think it's undemocratic of major asset managers to use their power to influence societal outcomes," said Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis.

Chicago's Sales Tax Securitization Corp. will sell $150 million of social bonds next month in the city's first ESG-labeled deal.

The Kentucky Bankers Association is seeking to halt Attorney General Daniel Cameron's investigation into climate commitments made by six large banks. The suit alleges that the AG overstepped his authority by seeking to compel the banks to turn over certain documents and communications.

The future of ESG and how it relates to the present raises questions about the general nature of public finance. 

Putting a county government into the real estate development business goes beyond making the numbers work.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides billions in grants for state and local governments. The challenge now is how quickly and effectively they can spend it amid an inflation–fueled rising–rate environment.

The newly stand-alone Water Infrastructure Finance Authority can sell water augmentation bonds as part of the state's quest for new water sources.

Key takeaways from the preliminary findings show that most jurisdictions that integrate racial equity in bond issuance focuse primarily on the use of the proceeds. 

Utah's first debt affordability study said while pay-as-you-go funding for capital projects is preferred, an economic downturn could lead to more debt issuance.

Keeley Webster, a Bond Buyer senior reporter, hosts a discussion with Raul Amezcua, a Ramirez & Co. managing director, on a California committee's efforts to craft ESG disclosure guidelines to encourage greater issuance of green bonds and provide more transparency for investors. (20 minutes)

Municipal issuers are learning the ropes of ESG disclosure and marketing.

MSU must find a new president after friction between board members and the president hired in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandals led to his resignation.

The status allows the firm to assign the label to bonds based on a review of a project's adherence to the Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme.

We believe our industry should coalesce around objective measures of ESG "risk" and leave the"impact" considerations to the investors and their proxies. Buy-side participants should welcome this as they structure impact strategies to match their clients' needs.

Even without formal rules tailored to the municipal market, ESG integration will likely come to the muni market faster than expected.

Partisan politics is playing a larger role in public finance, flaring up into bickering more often than in the past.

Joseph "Jodie" Smith takes the reins at the influential bond lawyer organization.

The committee aims to craft best practices that would encourage greater use of the "green bond" label.

Texas gave S&P until Oct. 13 to produce documents detailing its development and use of ESG factors in public finance ratings.

John Hallacy talks with Chip Barnett about how fiscal and monetary policy is affecting the municipal bond market. He discusses recent data releases, supply forecasts and the midterm elections and the future of ESG in public finance. (20 minutes)