Law and legal issues

DTE Electric Co. is seeking a $537 million reduction in its taxable value, possibly threatening the county's credit rating.

The state used "subject to appropriation" language to exit a building lease, but state officials say Alaska will honor bonds subject to the same condition.

Malachi Financial Products Inc. and its principal were charged with violating their fiduciary duty to a city in Mississippi, overcharging the city, and failing to disclose payments received from the underwriter.

Michigan State University's credit fundamentals will be the deciding factor when it sells bonds to fund the settlement, say market observers.

The opinion said Florida met its initial burden in proving that a cap on Georgia’s water withdrawals could be considered further.

State-owned Santee Cooper wants the high court to affirm its authority to set rates and pay off bonds that financed its scrubbed nuclear reactor project.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said he will declare a fiscal crisis for Pennsylvania's capital after state lawmakers would not let the city exit distressed status while keeping its special taxing authority.

The $500 million settlement with 330 sex-abuse victims must still be approved by a judge.

A civil grand jury slammed the Alum Rock school board for running the district poorly, including on bond-related matters.

The Poinciana Community Development Districts argue that "issue preclusion” should bar some objections to the validation of $102 million of bonds.

The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund's new power to intercept Harvey's pool of state revenues complicates settlement efforts with the city's public safety funds.

States could gain $8 billion to $33.9 billion in additional annual revenue if the high court rules in favor of South Dakota, while a loss would mean the status quo.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has been ordered by a judge to begin implementation of voter-approved Medicaid expansion after missing the state’s April 3 deadline.

The U.S. Department of Transportation told All Aboard Florida that it now has until Dec. 31 to sell the $1.15 billion of bonds.

S&P said a state law de-annexing a major portion of one city to create another may affect all of its Georgia municipal rating assessments.

A settlement would free up some state-intercepted revenues for the city while sending some overdue contributions to the funds.

State-owned utility Santee Cooper received two subpoenas that appear to focus on a secret assessment report about the foundering project.

The outcome clearly places bondholders behind pension funds, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Harvey's revenue bondholders will get a piece of the city's intercepted revenues while the police fund has to wait.

The $139 million refunding saved Alabama’s most populous county $12.35 million in debt-service costs.