Yvette Shields

The Chicago Park District is headed into the market with a $208 million new-money, refunding, and restructuring sale that helps lay the ground work for covering higher future pension contributions.

The Illinois General Assembly's failure to extend the 2011 income tax hike ahead of its partial expiration next year could negatively pressure the state's already weak credit rating, Moody's Investors Service warned.

While a new budget took center stage, Illinois lawmakers also capped their recent session with an expansion of infrastructure programs and passage of an overhaul for some Chicago pensions.

Illinois lawmakers wrapped up their spring session with passage of a new $1.1 billion capital plan for transportation projects and a $35.7 billion operating budget that relies on -one time fiscal maneuvers.

Moody's Investors Service revised its outlook on Illinois Wesleyan University's Baa1 rating to positive due to its improved operating performance.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued a proclamation setting the vote on a ballot question to amend the state constitution raising the sales tax to fund transportation projects for the Aug 5.

A power generating unit at the mostly bond-financed Prairie State Energy Campus in Illinois was damaged but the operating company said it should come back online by summer.

The Ramsey County, Minn. board of commissioners approved spending $10.55 million to purchase a sports complex financed with $27 million of now-defaulted bonds sold by Vadnais Heights.

Illinois' expected passage of a compromise budget that doesn't extend an expiring income tax hike and relies on one-shots to avoid deep cuts won't sit well with investors or rating agencies, market participants said Wednesday.

The Illinois General Assembly entered the final week of its spring session with the Democratic leadership focused on a budget that doesn’t rely on revenue from an expiring tax hike but also lacks deep cuts rejected by the House last week.

Chicago hits the market Thursday with $784 million of new-money and refunding Midway Airport bonds that will nearly wrap up a restructuring aimed at strengthening its debt portfolio.

The Illinois House heads into its final week at an impasse over a fiscal 2015 budget after rejecting on Friday a budget stripped of more than $3 billion of income tax revenue.

The Madison Metropolitan Schools lost its top rating from Moody's Investors Service after a review prompted by the rating agency's shift in its local government general obligation rating methodology.

A not-for-profit St. Louis group raised the possibility of referendum drive to try to challenge the Legislature's override of Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of an income tax cut.

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen signed off on an amended redevelopment agreement related to the city's bondholder-owned convention center hotel complex that helps clear the path for the complex's sale.

The president and chief executive officer of the company that operates a controversial mostly bond-financed Midwestern coal plant has resigned and a national search for a replacement is planned.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to make an expiring income tax permanent has just a little more than half the votes needed to clear the Illinois House with the clock ticking on the legislative session.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed legislation authorizing $1.1 billion in mostly bond-financed infrastructure spending and extending the state's ability to do negotiated bond sales for four years.

Two former Minneapolis-based Northland Securities veterans have returned to the firm to bolster its education work.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn lacks the House votes needed to win approval of his plan to make an expiring tax increase permanent, despite a lengthy lobbying session with fellow Democrats.