Illinois

Chicago wants more time to improve the funded status of its fire and police pension funds and increase employee contributions in order to reduce the burden on taxpayers of reforms signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn earlier this year.

CHICAGO — Allowing a lower court ruling invalidating Illinois’ $31 billion capital budget to take effect would “wreak havoc” on state operations and finances, the attorney general’s office warned Friday in its request that the state Supreme Court stay the decision.

CHICAGO — Chicago has backed off from its plan to sell $1.1 billion of O’Hare International Airport bonds next week as it fights a lawsuit filed by the airport’s two largest carriers challenging its authority to finish work on an $8 billion expansion plan without airline consent.

CHICAGO — In a move prompted by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s heightened scrutiny of pension-disclosure practices, Illinois unveiled overhauled reporting standards in its latest bond offering statement that also announced a rise in unfunded pension liabilities to $75.7 billion and revealed a pending SEC inquiry.

CHICAGO — Attorneys for Chicago and O’Hare International Airport’s two largest carriers will return to court next month as a standoff over the final phase of an $8 billion expansion plan continues.

CHICAGO — The pressure on Illinois’ credit eased Friday as Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on the state’s general obligation rating to stable from negative in recognition of moves to raise the income tax by two-thirds and temporarily limit spending increases.

CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority advanced plans this week for $200 million in borrowing to finance new, privately developed student residential facilities at two state universities.

CHICAGO — Cook County’s new president, Toni Preckwinkle, has tapped a former Chicago comptroller as her new chief financial officer.

CHICAGO — American Airlines and United Airlines on Tuesday sued Chicago to block its financing of remaining projects under an $8 billion expansion program at O’Hare International Airport ahead of the city’s planned sale of $1.1 billion of passenger facility charge-backed bonds next month.

CHICAGO — While the Illinois General Assembly’s move to bolster income taxes dominated headlines last week, lawmakers also jacked up the bonding capacity by $5 billion for capital projects and followed California’s lead by requiring underwriters to disclose their credit-default swap positions on state debt.

CHICAGO — American Airlines and United Airlines on Tuesday sued Chicago to block its financing of remaining projects under an $8 billion expansion program at O’Hare International Airport ahead of the city’s sale of $1.1 billion of passenger facility charge-backed bonds next month.

CHICAGO — As Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Thursday increasing Illinois’ income tax, his debt manager met with rating agencies while the state plans to issue $3.7 billion of pension bonds next month and may resurrect a failed $8.75 billion borrowing to pay bills.

CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings on Wednesday lowered its rating on O’Hare International Airport’s upcoming $1.1 billion issue of passenger facility charge bonds by two notches due to the airport’s increased leverage as Chicago seeks to fund remaining projects under an $8 billion expansion without airline support.

CHICAGO — As rating agencies and investors digested details of the Illinois General Assembly’s vote increasing state income taxes by two-thirds, Gov. Pat Quinn defended the action Wednesday as being necessary for the state to dig itself out of its fiscal crisis.

CHICAGO — Using a structure that bypasses airline approval, Chicago will enter the market early next month with a long-planned sale of $1.1 billion of debt for O’Hare International Airport.

CHICAGO — After years of perceived mismanagement and allegations of corruption, a new administration has taken over the helm of Cook County, Ill. with fiscal responsibility as its mantra.

Illinois’ establishment of a program linking state vendors with private ­investors willing to purchase overdue vouchers underscores the severity of its chronic bill-payment deferrals, but shouldn’t impact its credit standing, according to a recent report from Moody’s Investors Service.

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was sworn into office for his first full term Monday, with the clock ticking on a budget deal being pushed by Democratic leaders in the final days of a lame-duck session to raise taxes and borrow more than $12 billion to tackle a looming $15 billion deficit.

CHICAGO — With a round of positive credit action to tout, DePaul University in Chicago will enter the market this month with $165 million of debt that will include its first new-money sale to fund capital projects in more than a decade.

CHICAGO — Illinois lawmakers return to work Monday to wrap up a lame-duck session that could see votes on a huge borrowing proposal, an income tax increase, and a casino expansion plan that would be the largest in the state's history.