Yvette Shields

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has tapped its chief financial officer Roberta Broeker to serve as interim director of state Transportation Department as a national search continues for a new leader to replace retiring director Dave Nichols.

Struggling Illinois local governments should have the option of municipal bankruptcy, one mayor told lawmakers during the first airing of legislation that would add Chapter 9 to the state's statutes.

Municipal market observers aren’t impressed by the Chicago Public Schools’ move to drop Moody’s Investors Service in favor of an agency that assigned a higher rating.

Standard & Poor's raised its rating on Silver Cross Hospital in Illinois by one level to BBB as it prepares to pull its rating at the hospital's request.

Moody’s Investors Service said it considers Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s appointment of a task force to look at local government consolidation and overhauling unfunded mandates to be a positive credit measure

A Missouri city is asking a state judge to void its contract with the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission in the latest push back from local governments angry over higher energy costs tied to the controversial Prairie State coal plant project.

The Illinois Municipal Electric Agency heads into the market as soon as Tuesday with a $585 million revenue bond issue that will refund debt sold to help finance its participation in the controversial Prairie State coal-fired project and for an ownership stake in a Kentucky-based coal plant.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago won an upgrade from Standard & Poor’s as it fiscal books remain on the upswing.

Wisconsin's tab to repay $220 million in proposed borrowing for a new Milwaukee Bucks basketball arena ranges from $324 million to $488 million, according to a legislative report.

Chicago received a first time rating of A-minus with a stable outlook from Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

A one-time fix to close Illinois' current $1.6 billion budget gap largely by draining $1.3 billion from non-general fund special accounts is headed to the Senate after clearing the House.

Zion, Ill. Park District lost its investment grade rating and faces further credit deterioration as its struggles with a rapidly declining tax base.

Missouri lawmakers are advancing legislation that makes clear legislative and voter authority over any borrowing, a move prompted by questions over whether Gov. Jay Nixon’s bonding proposal for a new St. Louis Rams professional football stadium requires a vote.

Moody’s Investors Service placed Steele County, Minn.’s ratings on review for a possible downgrade as several enterprise fund commitments strain its books.

Chicago area transit systems face service cuts or higher fares if state funding is slashed as proposed by Gov. Bruce Rauner in his fiscal 2016 budget now before the General Assembly.

Minnesota Republicans on Monday proposed a $7 billion, 10-year plan to fund transportation work without a tax hike.

Illinois retained its position as the state with the worst overall net financial position among more than 40 reviewed by the Illinois auditor general for fiscal 2014.

The cracks in Chicago Public School system's fiscal foundation deepened as a new credit blow triggered swap termination events that could force payments of more than $260 million to counterparties.

The Chicago Public Schools dropped Moody’s Investors Service from the list of rating agencies asked to review its upcoming sale of about $550 million in new money and refunding general obligation paper.

Chicago took a gamble by voluntarily laying out in stark terms the fiscal threats that could lead to further credit erosion and the impact on its swap and liquidity contracts, market participants said.