Indiana

Indiana last week reached financial close on a $700 million tax-exempt bond financing that finances the state's half of the $2.6 billion bi-state bridge project with Kentucky.

A trio of Midwestern governors have proposed dramatic income-tax cuts — which could impact demand for their state bonds — but are meeting opposition from GOP-led state legislatures.

Indiana University Health, one of the state's largest health care providers, announced this week it is taking "a step back" on a planned new patient tower that carried a price tag as high as $500 million.

S&P and Fitch Ratings this week held conference calls to detail the criteria driving their BBB ratings on Tuesday's sale of $641M of private activity bonds that will finance what is one of the only publicly rated public-private partnerships that features an availability-payment structure.

A new casino that opened Monday in Cincinnati, Ohio is expected to pressure nearby riverboat casinos in southeast Indiana, Moody's Investors Service said.

Indiana embarks on its first public-private partnership that is structured with availability payments next week as it borrows $641 million of private activity bonds for its half of the $2.6 billion, bi-state Ohio River Bridges project.

Citizens Energy Group, which bought Indianapolis' water and sewer system in 2011, is asking the state regulatory commission for rate increases to finance $560 million in capital improvements.

Peabody Energy Corp., which led efforts to develop the mostly bond-financed, joint power agency-owned Prairie State Energy Campus, has received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission on the coal-fired plant's development.

Indiana lawmakers this week began debate on a new two-year budget that's cushioned with a $2 billion surplus, strong revenues, and low debt.

The Indiana Motor Speedway would be able to issue up to $100 million of bonds backed by a new pledge of state taxes under a bill set to be debated Thursday.

Refunding opportunities fueled a 36.3% surge in bond issuance among Midwestern borrowers last year as the steadfastly conservative region shied away from adding new debt in favor of shoring up balance sheets.

A House committee last week approved a long-stalled bill that would fund a $1.3 billion mass-transit expansion in central Indiana.

A bill that would expand Indiana's gambling industry is headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee after the Senate Public Policy Committee unanimously approved the measure last week.

Fitch Ratings last week upgraded to BBB from BBB-minus its rating on The Methodist Hospitals, reflecting the northwest Indiana system's improving financial performance.

Indiana would become the lastest state to considering floating bonds to pay off a massive federal unemployment insurance liability if the General Assembly approves a bill introduced last week.

After months of debate, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and leaders of the City-County Council have tentatively agreed to several proposals, including a pair of tax increases, to the city’s $1.1 billion budget.

Lawmakers as soon as Wednesday are set to begin debate on a series of bills to revamp the state's gaming and casinos laws in an effort to boost competitiveness with Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois casinos.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence presented a $29 billion two-year spending plan that features an income-tax cut that totals nearly $800 million and sets aside $347 million in new transportation dollars.

The Illinois Finance Authority board advanced new-money and refunding deals planned by Northwestern Memorial Healthcare and the Franciscan Communities Inc. in the coming months.

Sycamore Advisors LLC, one of Indiana's top financial advisors, hired Courtney Tobin, a Georgia-based former Indiana public finance official, to help expand the firm's footprint in the southeast and Chicago.