Yvette Shields

Wisconsin plans to come to market as soon as March 20 with nearly $400 million of new money and refunding transportation revenue bonds.

Illinois finished out its last fiscal year with the worst overall net financial position of any state reviewed by the state auditor general after the release of the state's comprehensive annual financial report, or CAFR.

Chicago pared down some of the expected interest rate penalty on its $880 million general obligation bond sale by drawing dozens of new investors in a market starved for issuance but still paid a steep price for its blemished credit.

Chicago received $3.6 billion of orders on its $884 million general obligation bond issue Wednesday that marked its first outing with GOs tarnished by two triple-notch downgrades and a drop into the Baa1 category.

The Illinois Finance Authority board signed on Centegra Health System's plans to borrow $200 million for a new hospital and an agreement to assist with obtaining ratings on a financing tied to the proposed Illiana toll road.

Illinois received seven bids on its $402 million issue of high-grade, taxable revenue bonds Tuesday with JPMorgan winning the bonds with a true interest bid of 4.2706%.

Illinois paid at least $80 million more on general obligation bonds sold between 2005 and 2010 due to its poor reputation with investors, according to a new academic report.

Standard & Poor's raised its rating on the Iowa Board of Regents' parking system revenue bonds one level to AA-minus based on strong parking demand.

Wisconsin will sell up to $295 million of general obligation refunding bonds as soon as Wednesday.

RBC Capital Markets has hired Stratford Shields -- a longtime Morgan Stanley banker and a former head of its public finance business -- to lead its Midwestern municipal banking efforts.

After wrapping a $402 million sales tax backed deal slated for Thursday, Illinois expects to return to the market over the spring with up to $1 billion of general obligation borrowing to fund its ongoing $31 billion capital program.

Missouri-based BJC Health System sold $200 million of debt to finance various projects including an expansion of its cancer center in St. Louis County in partnership with Washington University School of Medicine.

Moody's Investors Service's decision to drop Chicago out of the A rating category over its pension woes strikes at both its credit and reputation, market participants said Wednesday

Veteran Chicago area municipal analyst Peter Fugiel, past chairman of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and past president of the Chicago Municipal Analysts Society, has died.

Moody's Investors Service delivered a sharp blow to Chicago's general obligation and sales tax rating Tuesday, dropping them down to Baa1 over the city's mounting unfunded pension woes that threaten its "fiscal solvency."

Kansas City, Mo. will borrow $124 million next week to raise financing needed for its long planned $114 million downtown street car project and restructure debt to give it budgetary breathing room to strengthen its pension funds.

The Illinois Supreme Court ordered that four pending lawsuits challenging the legality of the state's pension overhaul be consolidated and handled by the Sangamon County Circuit Court.

Fresh from raising $1 billion from a general obligation sale last month, Illinois returns to the market next week with a $402 million taxable revenue-backed issue as the state wrestles with an expiring income tax increase.

Moody's Investors Service revised its outlook on HealthEast Care System's junk bond rating to positive, signaling the Minnesota system could see a return to investment grade territory if its fiscal performance remains on track.

Missouri House members proposed an alternative bonding proposal to one announced by Gov. Jay Nixon to finance a new state psychiatric facility.