Yvette Shields

Illinois' overall fiscal health reflected in the value of its net assets worsened in fiscal 2012 by $3 billion, pushing it to a negative $46.6 billion, although the pace of deterioration slowed.

Wisconsin's capital finance office is accepting qualifications through next week from underwriters interested in participating on negotiated sales over the next two years.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn wants legislative action on a pension reform bill by July 9, giving the conference committee set up Wednesday three weeks to fashion a package.

Illinois lawmakers convene a special session on pension reform Wednesday but the only action expected is the formation of a special conference committee to fashion a compromise plan.

Monticello, Minn., which defaulted on $26.4 million of unrated telecom revenue bonds, would pay bondholders $5.75 million and free up escrowed funds under a proposed settlement.

St. Louis Metro transit enters the market next week with a $375 million issue under a long-planned restructuring and refunding that will introduce a new debt lien supported by revenues from a 2010 voter-approved sales tax.

Moody's Investors Service has placed Meriter Hospital's A1 rating under review for downgrade as the system struggles with 2012 operating losses due to the Meriter Health Services' health insurance plan.

The Court of Appeals in Kansas City will hear oral arguments next month as several Kansas City, Mo., business owners try to keep alive their lawsuit challenging the legality of the funding mechanism for the city's downtown streetcar line.

Moody's Investors Service pushed the struggling Proctor Hospital's rating further down into junk bond territory, lowering the Illinois hospital three levels and warning of further deterioration.

After a failed stab at asking state lawmakers to extend a teacher pension payment holiday, Chicago Public Schools announced a new round of cuts Friday as the district carves away at a $1 billion deficit in its next budget.

The federal government has formally invited Chicago to apply for a $292 million loan to help finance its new $884 million intermodal facility at O'Hare International Airport.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority has launched a search for underwriters to help refund or restructure its debt.

Illinois lawmakers handed the Illinois Finance Authority some additional financing tools.

Illinois captured about $55 million in savings on its $600 million refunding Tuesday of high-grade sales-tax backed paper.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will sign a sweeping tax overhaul package into law on Wednesday.

The ratings of Illinois' eight public universities and their collective $2.5 billion of debt face a potential downgrade over exposure to the state's fiscal woes, Moody's investors Service warned.

A lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court against the Illinois Department of Revenue claims changes made in 2012 to the state's charity care law that governs not-for-profit hospitals violates the state constitution.

Chicago's motor fuel tax credit took its second ratings hit in a week with Moody's Investors Service dropping its rating one level to Baa1 over exposure to Illinois.

Ascension Health Alliance will make its first foray into the long-term taxable market this week when it sells $1 billion of refunding bonds in a mix of tax-exempt and taxable paper.

Illinois set the last week of June for its planned sale of $1.25 billion of new-money under its battered general obligation credit and demand for project funding is too great to pull the sale over negative headwinds said John Sinsheimer.