Yvette Shields

Minnesota issued layoff notices late last week to 36,000 employees ahead of a partial government shutdown on July 1 if state leaders cannot resolve an impasse over a new two-year budget.

Gov. Pat Quinn last week named Gery Chico to serve as chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.

Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Monday announced a revamped state website with new features aimed at easing public access to financial records and reports.

Chicago and Cook County, collectively facing nearly $1 billion of red ink in their next budgets, could save up to $140 million in coming years by consolidating their purchasing power and some services and collaborating on their capital programs, according to a report released Monday.

CHICAGO - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday signed into law a $23 billion fiscal 2012 budget after cutting $172 million from the plan approved by lawmakers in order to keep spending in line with expected revenue and to set aside $50 million for recent weather-related disasters.

CHICAGO — Facing a funding crisis, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has adopted a five-year budget plan that eliminates more than 1,000 positions and shutters facilities to save $500 million for project funding as the agency recedes from the ranks of frequent issuers.

Ramsey County would bear none of the fiscal burden of a $350 million revenue bond issue for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium because a new sales tax would generate sufficient revenue to repay the debt, according to a report.

Moody’s Investors Service last week affirmed Allina Health Systems’ A1 rating and signaled an upgrade could be in the offing if it maintains its strong financial performance of the last two years.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn last week announced a state partnership with the University of Illinois and a special advisory group to study the feasibility of high-speed rail service between Chicago and Champaign-Urbana and possibly to other parts of the state and neighboring cities.

CHICAGO — Calling for a special legislative session, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday warned that the General Assembly’s failure to authorize a capital spending bill before adjourning last week jeopardizes billions of dollars in construction projects.

CHICAGO — The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District has submitted a proposal to its rate-setting commission asking voters for authority to issue $945 million of bonds in coming years to fund capital projects, many of which are required under a tentative $4.7 billion agreement reached with federal authorities to settle a lawsuit.

CHICAGO — The St. Paul Port Authority and lawyers for a group of investors who hold a portion of its 876 Fund economic development revenue bonds will return to court later this month as litigation proceeds over the fate of $51 million of defaulted debt.

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools will scale back its planned borrowing in fiscal 2012 and trim administrative costs to shave $75 million off an estimated $720 million gap in its next budget, new schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard and Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Thursday.

CHICAGO — Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has joined Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP — the top-ranked legal firm for city bond deals ­­— in an of counsel role in which the firm intends to draw on his experience and relationships to bolster its continued growth, officials announced Wednesday.

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday called a massive expansion of gambling approved by lawmakers this week “excessive” and the fiscal 2012 budget “unfinished” because it leaves billions of dollars in bills unpaid and cuts education funding.

CHICAGO — Rushing to wrap up work by an adjournment deadline of midnight, Illinois lawmakers Tuesday passed a massive gambling expansion that includes a Chicago casino after their weekend adoption of a $33.2 billion operating budget for fiscal 2012 that leaves billions of dollars in unpaid bills.

Minnesota has selected Jefferies & Co. to serve as the senior manager on its summer sale of $50 million of revenue bonds in what is likely the final state financing needed to fund a statewide digital-radio communications system for public safety personnel.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman floated a plan last week to impose a 2-cents- per-drink liquor tax statewide to raise new revenue to finance a new Minnesota Vikings football stadium in Minneapolis and a series of investments in other local sporting stadiums in St. Paul.

The Chicago Board of Education last week approved new Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s pick of Jean-Claude Brizard to serve as Chicago Public Schools’ new chief executive officer.

Recently retired Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has accepted an appointment at the University of Chicago to help foster policy discussions at the Harris School of Public Policy.