Investments

Two new municipal, high-quality, AMT-free ETFs launched by VanEck Global this week offer flexibility for both conservative and yield-oriented investors, and are listed on Bats Global Markets Inc., the Kansas City-based exchange for ETF trading.

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy’s municipal finance center is offering grants for academic research projects on topics that range from public sector pensions and bond financing to infrastructure, taxation, and the politics of public finance.

West Virginia will lose $85 million of revenues per year if tolls are removed from state’s turnpike in 2019.

ARKANSAS

ARKANSAS

The Baltimore City Council on Monday approved a $660 million bond deal to transform the Port Covington neighborhood, making it the largest tax increment financing district in city’s history.

Arkansas will study whether tolled lanes are the best way to finance a 14-mile segment of a new interstate highway.

A Bond Buyer slideshow pairs charts of key interest rate related metrics with comments from municipal analysts and strategists, as policy makers again meet to consider whether to lift the benchmark rate a second time eight years after the financial crisis.

KANSAS

COLORADO

Green municipal bond issuance increased by almost half in 2015, with water infrastructure making up the biggest chunk of the bond sales, according to a new report.

Federal budget gridlock could freeze state highway aid at fiscal 2016 levels until after the presidential election.

LOUISIANA

ARKANSAS

Wisconsin lawmakers are skeptical of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed $6.5 billion, two-year transportation budget.

CALIFORNIA

ALABAMA

The weekly average yield to maturity of The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, increased four basis points to 3.80% from 3.76% in the previous week.

The Senate on Thursday passed the long-stalled Water Resources Development Act of 2016 that would provide millions of federal dollars to Flint, Mich. and any other community facing a water crisis.

San Diego will build an 11-mile extension of its Blue Line light rail system with a $1 billion federal transit grant.