Munis

Locke Lord's Texas public finance team continues to expand with the addition of Arnold Cantu from Norton Rose Fulbright.

The team from Bank of New York Mellon will notably expand Ice Miller's arbitrage rebate compliance practice as a component of its public finance services.

While June was lower than 2020 in par, pandemic-related factors skewed last year's issuance totals, making the $42 billion issued this month high on a historical basis. Outside factors, such as federal aid and potential infrastructure plans, may affect issuance going forward.

Current rules require disclosures to customers who probably do not need them, industry lobbying groups argue.

State and local government groups want the focus on reinstating tax-exempt advance refunding bonds and expanding the current financing tools.

Brightline Holdings will wait until 2022 to try again to finance a passenger train to Las Vegas from Southern California with tax-exempt bonds.

The shift means that lease-revenue bonds supporting federal leases will no longer be notched off the federal government’s rating.

LSC plans to submit a proposal to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that would allow it to offer a Bachelor of Science in emergency management degree under a new state law.

Toll roads suffered tremendously from dips in traffic associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a year of adjustments made as a result of the pandemic, Baylor University earned a positive outlook on $124 million of new-money revenue bonds.

The city faced significant challenges finishing its annual comprehensive financial report as a result of a cyberattack, an overhaul of financial systems and managing through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dealers and muni advisors think the loyalties of solicitor MAs should be clearly disclosed.

Mayor Jorge Elorza’s $850 million POB proposal sits stalled in the state legislature while state General Treasurer Seth Magaziner called the legislation too risky.

The city and school district's financial "entanglements" will be the subject of an independent financial review due before the first elections are held.

The roughly $1 trillion bipartisan plan would rely heavily on municipal financing tools to achieve $1 trillion in investment with any new federal taxes.

The group is also urging Congress to enact enhancements for aggie bonds and industrial development bonds.

Trading showed firmer prints, with Georgia general obligation bonds, Maryland GOs and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power bonds trading up.

Walorski is a co-sponsor of two bills in the current Congress to expand the use of private activity bonds in financing public buildings and affordable housing.

Like the city's pension funding revisions, the park district's plan ramps up to actuarial payments but it's alone in aiming for a 100% funding target.

The California treasurer also suggests adding flexibility to federal rail grants ,which are typically reserved for government projects, to include jointly undertaken public-private partnerships.