Yvette was a senior reporter, covering the Midwest. She earned a bachelors in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, began her reporting career at the storied City News Bureau of Chicago, and joined the Bond Buyer in 1997 leading Midwest coverage from her hometown Chicago.
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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.
June 9 - Minnesota
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.
June 7 -
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.
June 7 -
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.
June 7 - Illinois
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.
June 6 -
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.
June 3 -
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.
June 2 - Illinois
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.
June 2 -
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.
June 1 - Illinois
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.
June 1 -
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.
May 31 - Minnesota
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.
May 31 - Minnesota
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.
May 31 - Illinois
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.
May 31 -
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.
May 31 -
CHICAGO — Should the municipal market embrace a new national conduit finance authority as a welcome addition to the arsenal of financing options, or does it threaten state imposition of legislative priorities and policies on tax-exempt bond issuance?
May 27 -
CHICAGO — The financial toll of the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., on Sunday, killing more than 100 and destroying a local hospital, remains unknown, but Moody’s Investors Service expects the health care system’s rating will weather the impact and Missouri said it stands ready with aid.
May 26 -
CHICAGO — A Wisconsin judge on Thursday struck down the state’s controversial law that curtailed the collective bargaining powers of most public unions and raised pension contributions and health care premiums, concluding that lawmakers violated state open-meetings rules in their haste to pass the legislation.
May 26 - Minnesota
CHICAGO — The political standoff in Minnesota over taxes between Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican lawmakers showed no sign of easing this week after the governor vetoed the two-year budget approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature and officials on Wednesday started planning for a possible shutdown.
May 25 - Wisconsin
CHICAGO — Milwaukee will competitively sell about $250 million of general obligation debt Wednesday as it grapples with the impact of looming state revenue cuts proposed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
May 24
