Government finance

The study adds to the growing body of findings by think tanks and credit rating agencies that highlight the pitfalls states face when considering new taxes on e-cigarettes and marijuana because of the changing habits of American consumers.

Homeless advocacy groups collected enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

James Spiotto warns that communities with pension problems face potential population loss if they raise taxes too high and are not able to maintain public service levels.

States and localities can’t continue to postpone resolving their pension problems or they will crowd out essential services and infrastructure and lose population, Chapman Strategic Advisors managing director James Spiotto says in a paper to be delivered in Washington on Tuesday.

Kalotay faults the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for not requiring training in options-based analytics as part of their certification of municipal advisor representatives.

State and local governments were advised Thursday to avoid imposing burdens on out-of-state e-commerce retailers that could spark a new round of litigation as they begin implementing the Supreme Court’s June 21 South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. ruling on sales taxes.

During a webinar Thursday moderated by the National League of Cities, officials pointed out that the South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. sales tax case has been remanded by the U.S. Supreme Court back to the South Dakota Supreme Court.

MSU plans to issue roughly $784 million of bonds, $450 million of which will be used to cover settlement costs from the sexual abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar.

The deposit exceeds some pre-budget estimates that the fund would receive $14 million, said Gov. Tom Wolf.

Three Republican senators have introduced legislation that would slash federal spending for transportation and federal fuels taxes and put more responsibility on states for transportation infrastructure and all mass transit projects.