Tax

Moody's Ratings upgraded Nebraska's issuer rating to Aaa from Aa1 on Monday. It also upgraded the state's $24 million certificates of participation to Aa1 from Aa2.

Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican, has penned a "Dear Colleague" letter asking lawmakers to publicly support tax-exempt municipal bonds.

Legislation addressed expanding water supply, paying for flood damage, financing for capital projects, as well as a fiscal 2026 spending plan.

What's happening to the muni market is the "confluence of modest selling (via fund outflows and retail perhaps pausing during tax season); a heavy new issue calendar; and very thin near-term reinvestment expectations," said Matt Fabian, a partner at Municipal Market Analytics.

Goldman Sachs was tapped to lead a sales tax revenue bond issue to finance an arena to replace Paycom Center, home of the NBA's Thunder.

The governor is calling for a freeze on planned cuts to individual and corporate tax rates.

Mesirow's George Barbar said the group's top legislative focus is preserving the municipal bond tax exemption.

The U.S. Congress is considering eliminating the federal tax exemption for municipal bonds, the single most important financing tool for cities and towns across America. If they do, the cost of building and maintaining infrastructure — roads, bridges, schools, water systems, and even broadband networks — will skyrocket.

The Southeast has many of the largest ports and cargo airports in the country along with extensive foreign investment that creates exposure to trade turmoil.

A city-created corporation plans to issue bonds for the mass transit project, paid off with a voter-approved hike in the maintenance and operations property tax.