Bonds

The House Wednesday passed legislation to block a proposed Department of Energy rule that may effectively ban many models of gas stove, a move strongly opposed by public gas utilities. The Save Our Gas Stoves Act passed the House with bipartisan support. The legislation is the second of two pieces designed to slow the roll

Despite a relatively drama-free resolution to the nation’s debt limit debate, risks remain for state and local governments, chief among them cuts in federal spending, higher borrowing costs and skittish municipal market buyers. That was the message from panelists weighing in Thursday during a webinar hosted by the Volcker Alliance on the implications of the

Deploying greater use of bond financing to cure the county’s affordable housing shortage is getting a fresh look in the Senate via the Affordable Housing Bond Enhancement Act. The bill, which was introduced Tuesday, is cosponsored by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. and Bill Cassidy, R-La. The legislation takes aim at expanding the use of mortgage

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has introduced the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s funding over the next five years, expanding the Airport Improvement Program and including a number of improvements aimed at improving workforce and services of the aviation

The House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation Wednesday renewing aviation taxes for five years, a key piece of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization that’s a must-pass Congressional priority this summer. HR 3796 passed along party lines, with Democrats complaining the bill was rushed and contained a surprise border patrol earmark benefiting a top Republican

Gov. Kay Ivey made Alabama the latest GOP-dominated state to enact a law designed to limit the application of environmental, social, or governance factors by private sector businesses. SB261, which took a little under a month to make it from committee proposal through the Republican-dominated state legislature to the governor’s desk, seeks to shield some

Connecticut lawmakers approved a $51.1 billion budget that cuts personal income-tax rates for the first time in almost 30 years, while increasing spending on education and housing. “We are delivering the largest cut to Connecticut’s income tax rates in state history,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a press release Tuesday. The tax cut will benefit

In meeting renewable energy goals, Virginia has found a new purpose for its old mine lands. State officials believe they can turn an epidemic of mine closures to their advantage by developing a growing number of abandoned properties into renewable energy hubs, leveraging millions of new funds to bring private developers to the table on

While passage of a fiscal 2024 budget took center stage during Illinois’ spring legislative session, lawmakers also advanced potential public-private partnerships, extended transit’s break from farebox funding rules, aided hospitals, and cemented a pension overhaul for Cook County. Budget passage came late last month, one week after the General Assembly’s self-imposed May 19 date but

After crisscrossing Texas this year to drum up support for school choice, Gov. Greg Abbott is not deterred even though the Republican-controlled legislature failed to deliver a bill before the regular session ended last week. “I will never relent, I will never give up,” the Republican told the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation Friday. “We

Indiana University Health heads into the market this week with a $726 million transaction to provide ongoing financing for the system’s new hospital campus under construction in downtown Indianapolis. The bonds are selling through the Indiana Finance Authority in three tranches with a $325 million fixed-rate series, $300 million selling as put bonds with five-to-10

Massachusetts state senators approved a $56 billion budget for the fiscal year 2024 last week, forwarding along for final debate a package that preserves many of the central features of Gov. Maura Healey’s landmark tax relief package. Senators followed in step with their counterparts in Massachusetts’ House in approving a package along the lines of

Two Missouri-based hospital operators, BJC HealthCare and Saint Luke’s Health System, are the latest to join the trend of large-system mergers. The two signed a letter of intent to form an integrated not-for-profit Missouri-based health system Wednesday. The systems will work to reach a definitive agreement “in the coming months” with a closing anticipated by the

Oklahoma, which has been prevented from issuing bonds due to a delayed annual audit, could turn to a new state-financed revolving loan fund for capital projects under a bill passed by lawmakers last week. House Bill 1002X, which heads to the governor, would be a way to self-fund capital improvements as the state has been

The California Senate approved a measure that would repeal a law prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars for travel to states that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in favor of spending on programs to foster acceptance. Senate Bill 447, authored by Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, passed out of the Senate on a

Oklahoma lawmakers overrode the veto of a bill aimed at reforming the governance structure of the state’s turnpike authority, which is awaiting a ruling on the validity of bonds to begin funding a $5 billion extension project. Ahead of Friday’s end of the legislative session, the override of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s May 19 veto passed

The Illinois Supreme Court will have the final say on the constitutionality of the state’s 2019 consolidation of suburban and downstate police firefighter pension fund assets. A group of police funds challenged the legislation, which has so far cleared two legal hurdles. Kane County Circuit Court Judge Robert Villa upheld the law in May 2022 and

Illinois lawmakers expect to cast a final vote early Saturday on a nearly $50.7 billion budget that preserves scheduled deposits into the rainy day fund, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed $200 million pension supplemental pension payment and pay off of the state’s tobacco bonds. Some of those plans appeared in possible jeopardy in recent weeks over

Tennessee is betting nuclear energy will make a comeback. The state, which hosted labs that helped split the atom during World War II, has joined the race to develop and deploy the first commercial-grade variant of a scalable nuclear reactor that promises to provide an important piece of the nation’s green energy network. After appropriating

The secondary market has yet to react to California’s negative outlook from Moody’s Investors Service, as credit spreads have generally tracked the recent market selloff. While Municipal Market Analytics acknowledged that California faces some economic headwinds, the firm was surprised at how quickly Moody’s revised the outlook after the governor’s May budget revisions were announced.