Investments

DALLAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he wants to use $98.4 million of the state’s $865.7 million surplus from fiscal 2008 for 21 college construction projects.

The Portland Community College District plans to hit the market next week with a $200 million competitive issue.

The total assets of tax-exempt money market funds rose by $3.65 billion to $485.77 billion during the week ending March 9 — only the third time the funds have seen inflows since January, according to the Money Fund Report, a service of iMoneyNet.com.

The Securities Industry Financial Markets Association is phasing out its indexes tracking auction-rate securities as the credit crisis renders the market inactive.

Nearly all The Bond Buyer’s weekly yield indexes rose this week, as the municipal market dealt with a sizeable slate of primary market issuance, and bond prices cheapened slightly throughout the week.

ARIZONACoolidge Unified School District No. 21Mar 12, 2009 . . . . . . $16,095,000

ARKANSASTexarkana School District No. 7 of Miller CountyMar 12, 2009 . . . . . . $15,660,000

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s executive budget for fiscal 2010 will include $219 million in cuts for higher education, or more than 15% from appropriations for state schools in fiscal 2009.

Municipal bonds simultaneously are historically cheap and historically expensive in the current market environment.

ALABAMAPell City Special Care Facilities Financing AuthorityMar 10, 2009 . . . . . . $50,000,000

CALIFORNIACeres Unified School DistrictMar 11, 2009 . . . . . . $15,000,000

CHICAGO - Ohio's University Hospitals Health System plans to enter the market today with $110 million of fixed-rate bonds to finance a series of major projects intended to keep the system competitive in the Cleveland area.

CHICAGO - The Illinois Finance Authority signed off on $650 million of borrowing planned by a handful of nonprofit hospitals and a college, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which plans to sell up to $475 million of fixed-rate bonds later this month.

CALIFORNIAOceanside (City)Mar 9, 2009 . . . . . . $15,000,000

ARKANSASCamden-Fairview School District No. 16 of Ouachita CountyMar 10, 2009 . . . . . . $8,880,000

Amid brisk trading of Puerto Rico debt in the secondary market, analysts have mixed feelings about the prospect of the commonwealth selling new debt this year.

CALIFORNIAEast Bay Municipal Utility DistrictMar 5, 2009 . . . . . . $165,580,000

ILLINOISHighland Park and Deerfield Township High School District No. 113Mar 9, 2009 . . . . . . $1,130,000

DALLAS — A $217.5 million issue from Texas A&M University leads the way this week in the Texas municipal debt market.

Investors shrugged off a rough patch for municipal bonds and continued plowing money into muni mutual funds last week.