Illinois

Chicago-based Mesirow Financial elevated David Johnson to head of its public finance group, replacing Steve Hoopes.

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority plans to sell $450 million of new money revenue bonds on Wednesday for projects in its ongoing $12 billion, 15-year capital program.

A proposal for $100 million in state capital funding assistance to help lure the Obama Presidential Library to Chicago is advancing through the Illinois General Assembly.

The Chicago City Council approved up to $1 billion of new money and refunding water revenue and wastewater revenue bonding.

Chicago is prepping up to $1 billion of borrowing under its wastewater and water credits that have escaped the battering seen by its general obligation rating over its pension strains.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn raised the idea of sharing more state income tax revenue with local governments to help them stabilize their local pension systems without hitting homeowners too hard on their property tax bills.

Chicago announced Friday that the CTA has secured a $79 million transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to help fund a new $240 million 95th Street Terminal on a Chicago Transit Authority light-rail line.

Illinois received $2.2 billion of orders from 54 investors on its $750 million general obligation bond sale Thursday as its yield penalty widened just slightly from a sale earlier this month.

Municipal bond buyers trapped in a low-supply market this month are hoping $750 million of Illinois bonds scheduled for sale Thursday will present an opportunity for some yield.

Chicago needs Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to sign legislation overhauling two of its pension funds so it can move on to a more elusive fix for its other two funds, the city's Chief Financial Officer Lois Scott said Wednesday.

Kutak Rock LLP has added veteran public finance attorney Debbie Boye to its Chicago team.

Leaving a temporary 2011 income tax hike in place combined with a December pension overhaul would put Illinois in position to stabilize its deteriorated credit, Moody's Investors Service said in a new commentary.

Standard & Poor's has revised its outlook on Rush University Medical Center Obligated Group’s A rating to positive from stable.

The Chicago Infrastructure Trust is conducting an open bidding process for proposals to finance energy upgrades to pools operated by the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Schools.

Illinois will return to the market Thursday with a $750 million general obligation sale hoping to capitalize on good market conditions and the same improved investor appeal that lowered borrowing costs on an issue earlier this month.

At a hearing supporters of a Chicago casino and expanded gambling statewide touted them as salve for the city and state's fiscal ills while opponents warned of over saturation and higher crime and addiction problems.

With Chicago and other local governments worried over the weight of pension obligations, the Civic Federation of Chicago is promoting creation of an authority designed to intervene with municipalities before deep fiscal strains reach a crisis stage

Citi has hired Chicago-based public finance banker Samantha Costanzo away from Jefferies to serve as a co-head of the Midwest region.

An income tax surcharge on income over $1 million won't appear on Illinois' November ballot after its sponsor decided to yank it from consideration.

Illinois sold $250 million of general obligation bonds Thursday in a competitive sale that saw some further narrowing of the state's interest rate spreads.