Karen is a senior reporter covering the Southwest. She has covered the municipal bond market for more than 30 years at The Bond Buyer and Reuters. Prior to that she wrote about futures and options markets for magazines and was an award-winning reporter for a suburban Chicago newspaper chain.
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Providing care for thousands of migrants is contributing to the system's escalating uncompensated care costs.
By Karen PierogJanuary 23 -
The proposed bond-financed Uinta Basin Railway has been hit with regulatory setbacks in the wake of a 2023 federal court ruling.
By Karen PierogJanuary 18 -
Gov. Katie Hobbs' proposed fiscal 2025 budget calls for agency fund sweeps, a new eligibility requirement for a costlier-than-expected universal school voucher program, and other measures to combat a rising shortfall.
By Karen PierogJanuary 17 -
The Republican governor is trying once again to focus lawmakers' attention on cutting income taxes during a special session set to begin Jan. 29.
By Karen PierogJanuary 17 -
As double-digit revenue growth comes to an end, Southwest governors are crafting budgets to deal with the new normal.
By Karen PierogJanuary 16 -
A 2023 state law gave legislative leaders four appointments to the six-member turnpike board as lawmakers sought to reform the agency in the wake of a controversial, bond-financed expansion project.
By Karen PierogJanuary 10 -
The negative outlook on the Phoenix-based university's Ba1 rating is due in part to its battle with federal regulators, including the U.S. Department of Education, which it sued in 2021.
By Karen PierogJanuary 9 -
Office sectors in some Southwest cities, including Houston, are stressed due to elevated vacancy rates that may lower assessed values and property tax revenue.
By Karen PierogJanuary 9 -
Fitch Ratings said the trajectory of the city's AA rating could depend on how Mayor John Whitmire, who took office this week, resolves the years-long impasse over firefighter pay.
By Karen PierogJanuary 4 -
The cost of empowerment scholarship accounts, which became universally available in 2022, has exceeded projections and raised concerns about how money is spent.
By Karen PierogJanuary 3