Yvette Shields

Illinois’ first bond offering statement in 20 months lays out a trove of warnings about the state’s stressed fiscal condition, from failed pension reforms and budget gridlock to its weakened credit and negative swap valuations.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s task force on local government consolidation and unfunded mandates offered 27 recommendations to streamline government operations.

The Great Lakes Water Authority officially opened its doors Jan. 1, ushering in a new era of regional water management under an entity that is now the caretaker of more than $5 billion in Detroit water and sewer bonds.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said if legislation subjecting local mayors to recall elections passes, he would sign it.

Missouri officials are waiting for the National Football League to decide if the St. Louis Rams can relocate despite a $1 billion stadium financing package designed to keep the team from leaving.

Standard & Poor’s is warning Chicago that analysts are watching to see how the city copes with a potentially bigger pension payment should its push for state relief falter.

The Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois kicks off the New Year with a rare new money borrowing as it looks to avoid state-related credit fallout.

With a fresh default on debt service looming, Lombard, Ill., wants bondholders to buy into a proposed restructuring of its $190 million of hotel/conference center debt.

Moody's Investors Service has placed the ratings of eleven local government credits in Indiana and Ohio on review with the rating direction uncertain as analysts await updated financial data from the group.

Standard & Poor's dropped Michigan Public Power Agency's AMP Fremont Energy Center project revenue bonds one notch to BBB due to the weakened operations of some cities that participate in the project.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is transitioning the city of Lincoln Park back to local control from state-imposed emergency management.

Illinois returns to the market in January with a $480 million bond deal after a 20-month absence during which its ratings fell and its unpaid bill backlog skyrocketed, and with a state budget six months overdue.

The Chicago Public Schools’ cash crisis triggered a new downgrade that market participants say could scare off some buyers and further drive up its already steep spread premiums.

The Federal Trade Commission has moved to block the proposed merger of Illinois-based Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University Health System citing to anti-competition concerns.

A Wisconsin town has won back its investment grade rating after renegotiating direct purchase contracts with its banks.

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority board signed off on a 2016 Budget that counts on $1.3 billion in revenues for maintenance, operations, debt service, and capital costs.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission won an upgrade of its subordinate bond credit after a new review.

The Chicago Board of Education voted to move ahead with two borrowing items to help keep the struggling Chicago Public Schools afloat.

The College of DuPage, Ill. board chairwoman Kathy Hamilton, who spearheaded reform efforts that also led to the ouster of the college president and the school’s finance team, abruptly resigned.

Indiana would build a new $120 million bond-financed mental health facility in what Gov. Mike Pence’s administration is billing as an affordable option that will usher in a new model of care