Illinois

Illinois' balance sheet remains strained with a more than $4 billion deficit looming in the coming years as the expiration of a temporary income tax hike saps revenues.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law pension reforms aimed at stabilizing the Chicago Park District's struggling system; other local governments including Chicago are hoping for similar legislation this year.

Three complaints have been filed challenging the constitutionality of the pension overhaul Illinois passed in December, and others are expected to follow ahead of the law's effective date in June.

The University of Chicago was among six institutions to which the not-for-profit Ludwig Cancer Research organization awarded $540 million grants to fund cancer research.

The cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools announced plans to relocate its administrative headquarters later this year in a move estimated to save $60 million over the next 15 years.

Moody's Investors Service revised the outlook on Illinois-based Memorial Health System's A1 rating to negative from stable ahead of its sale of $60 million of revenue bonds.

A group of retired teachers and school officials launched the first legal challenge to Illinois' controversial pension reform law, claiming it is unconstitutional.

The Chicago Infrastructure Trust has delayed to January from December the timeline for bringing its inaugural deal to the City Council for approval.

Former Ohio Deputy Treasurer Amer Ahmad, recently Chicago's comptroller, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges he orchestrated a kickback scheme involving state investment business.

The Lombard, Ill., village board rejected a request to cover a shortfall in the January debt service payment on bonds issued for a hotel and conference center.

CHICAGO – The Detroit City Council approved two of three measures needed to advance plans for a partially bond-financed $650 million downtown development that includes a new hockey arena and entertainment district.

CHICAGO - Standard & Poor's lowered its rating on Western Illinois University to A-minus from A and assigned a negative outlook. It also revised its outlook on Governors State University's A-minus rating to negative.

Illinois saw its yield penalties reduced in its first bond sale after lawmakers passed legislation aimed at stabilizing its underfunded pension system.

The Illinois Finance Authority board gave a green light to two healthcare financings and renewed executive director Chris Meister's appointment for another year.

Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois head Joseph Costello will retire from the agency where he has worked for the last two decades first as fiscal chief and then as executive director.

Standard & Poor's shifted its outlook on Illinois' general obligation outlook to "developing" from "negative" Tuesday following passage of a sweeping pension restructuring but warned the state is far from out of the woods fiscally.

As Illinois girds for a promised legal challenge, backers of the state's newly minted pension overhaul believe the legislation can pass constitutional muster by what it offers public sector workers in exchange for benefit cuts.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn last week announced plans for a nearly $500 million overhaul of the Chicago Transit Authority's rail transit line to O'Hare Airport.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel named Daniel Widawsky to serve as comptroller, replacing Amer Ahmad, who faces corruption charges stemming from his previous tenure in the Ohio Treasurer’s office.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the sweeping overhaul of the state's pension system into law on Thursday, calling it a "serious solution to address the most dire fiscal challenge of our time." The legislation will soon face a legal challenge from unions.