Illinois

Mayors and the Illinois Municipal League will press state lawmakers this year to pass legislation merging some public safety pension fund functions and guaranteeing the flow of various revenue streams without a state budget in place.

The Chicago region's Regional Transportation Authority is well short of the funds it needs to address an estimated $37.7 billion 10-year tab for maintenance and capital investments.

Illinois legislation to establish a new borrowing program for home rule governments may look good on the surface, but won’t necessarily protect investors against a borrower’s general creditworthiness, according to Municipal Market Analytics

Chicago-based Roosevelt University’s rating was dropped further into junk territory over its ongoing enrollment struggles that haven’t been helped by the state budget impasse.

IIlinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed fiscal 2018 budget banks additional tax revenue from the so-called “grand bargain” to fund $37.3 billion of spending.

Calling passage of a compromise budget plan a matter of “political will,” Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner offered his support for an income tax increase and expanded sales tax as long as the deal permanently freezes local property taxes, caps spending, and overhauls worker’s compensation.

The Chicago Board of Education and a group of parents sued Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Illinois Board of Education, charging that the state’s funding system discriminates against its mostly minority student population.

Issuers in the Midwest sold $87.2 billion of municipal bonds in 2016, a 23.4% year-over-year increase that was the biggest of any region.

Multiple tax hikes, strict spending limits, and borrowing to pay off old bills are all needed to dig Illinois out of its deep fiscal hole, the Chicago Civic Federation warned.

Chicago is stepping up a long-stalled effort to establish an express rail service from downtown Chicago to O'Hare International Airport, its mayor said.

The Illinois Senate passed along party lines three of the 11 bills that make up a proposed “Grand Bargain” budget fix before a fourth on pension reforms failed as a rift over the timing of the votes prompted Republicans to yank their support.

Chicago-based Mesirow Financial Inc. is tapping its capital markets division president Dominick Mondi to serve as company president.

Tucked into the Illinois Senate's "Grand Bargain" budget legislation is a bill to authorize a new type of local government bond that would benefit Chicago and other home rule communities.

Chicago Public Schools froze $46 million in discretionary funds it distributes to schools and $5 million in administrative spending as the distressed district struggles to close a gap left by Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of $215 million in state aid for teachers' pensions.

Illinois faces junk ratings without a solution to the state’s 19-month-old budget stalemate, Senate President John Cullerton warned in a speech.

Illinois lawmakers will return to work after another rating downgrade, with warnings of more to come as the state enters its 19th month without a full budget.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner named former state Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger to the post of deputy governor.

Peoria, Ill., its school district, and local county credits are expected to withstand the blow of Caterpillar Inc.’s decision to move its headquarters to downtown Chicago, S&P Global Ratings said.

Illinois was downgraded to BBB from BBB-plus by Fitch Ratings, which left the rating on a negative rating watch.

Fitch Ratings issued a report to criticize Moody’s Investors Services’ recent assessment of Chicago Public Schools.