Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s proposed $136.6 billion 2024-2026 biennium budget focuses on ways to continue the state’s economic rebound and provides substantial new funds for education and infrastructure. The Democratic governor’s budget proposal will be debated by the Republican-dominated General Assembly when it reconvenes on Jan. 2. Beshear’s plan, which he calls “Forward, Together,” would

The Riverside County Transportation Commission, California, won a Fitch Ratings upgrade for a $152.2 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act senior loan. Fitch lifted the rating on the TIFIA debt to BBB-plus from BBB-minus. The rating outlook is stable. The funding supports a managed lane project on Interstate 15 in a 15-mile stretch through

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has been given the Israel Bonds Leadership Award for the state’s financial support of the Jewish community and the State of Israel. Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague presented the award to Patronis during Israel Bonds Prime Minister’s Circle Gala in Boca Raton on Dec. 18. At the ceremony, Patronis announced

Arizona’s Water Infrastructure Financing Authority will begin a solicitation process next year for projects to boost the parched state’s water supply using information gleaned from a query it sent out this fall. The agency, which oversees $1 billion the state legislature in 2022 appropriated over three years for water augmentation, received 28 responses to its

Florida’s unemployment rate inched up to 2.9% in November from 2.8% in October, Florida Commerce reported on Friday. Florida’s jobless rate was 0.8 percentage point lower than the 3.7% national rate in November, the 37th straight month the state’s unemployment rate remained below that of the nation as a whole. The state’s overall workforce continued

Cities and states saw pension liabilities rise in fiscal 2022 amid negative market returns even as they significantly boosted contributions with the support of federal stimulus aid. Those are the findings of a new white paper, “State and Local Pension Funds 2022,” which reviews the performance of 648 pension funds making up 90% of all

News of the $68 billion budget deficit projected for California in fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24 raised alarm bells. But several state budget watchers say longer-term trends are less worrying. Though S&P Global Ratings revised the state’s outlook to stable from positive Friday, the rating agency has said the state remains solidly in the double-A

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker said the central bank should begin to reduce interest rates — though not immediately — offering a softer pushback against widespread market expectations of early 2024 cuts than some of his peers. “It’s important that we start to move rates down,” Harker said Wednesday in a local

Oregon received $600 million in federal money to help support the long-planned reconstruction of the Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland to Vancouver, Washington. The project received the full funding amount requested from the U.S. Department of Transportation grant program, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement. “This is a big moment for the

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said it’s too early for officials to begin thinking about cutting rates as soon as March as they consider whether policy is restrictive enough to get inflation back to 2%. “We aren’t really talking about rate cuts,” Williams said Friday in an interview on CNBC. He

Connecticut is set to price $840 million of general obligation bonds next week, the state’s last issuance of a year with landmark fiscal policy decisions. The state, which renewed fiscal responsibility measures, lowered income taxes and maintained strong economic metrics, kept its solid ratings from all four agencies for the upcoming deal.  “Management in Connecticut,