Massachusetts

Nixon Peabody LLP public finance attorney Navjeet Bal has joined the board of directors of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

Massachusetts plans a sale of $400 million of general obligation bonds by competitive bid on Tuesday.

Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman, Administration and Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez and Comptroller Martin Benison announced the unveiling of the the state’s Open Checkbook website.

Dana Levenson jumped at the chance to be chief financial officer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman has detailed his process for appointing a member to the new five-member Gaming Commission.

Massachusetts issued $1.2 billion in cash-flow notes at what Treasurer Steven Grossman called record-low interest rates.

Massachusetts is scheduled to sell $1.2 billion of general obligation revenue anticipation notes in two $600 million series by competitive sale on Tuesday.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Saints Medical Center of Lowell to Caa1 from B1 after it and the for-profit Steward Health Care System of Boston ended their merger discussions.

Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a Aa2 to the University of Massachusetts’ $28.1 million of tax-exempt, fixed-rate Series 2011 revenue refunding bonds.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority plans a $600 million sale of Series 2011B senior dedicated sales tax bonds through negotiated bid on Thursday after a one-day retail order period.

Standard & Poor’s assigned its A long-term rating to the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency’s Series 2011 bonds issued for Clark University and affirmed the underlying A on outstanding bonds issued for the university by the agency.

The Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board approved a plan aimed at increasing investments with smaller money-management firms.

James MacDonald will become Massachusetts' first deputy treasurer effective Dec. 1, state Treasurer Steven Grossman announced.

Navjeet Bal will join law firm Nixon Peabody LLP as counsel on Oct. 3, but the outgoing Massachusetts revenue commissioner is no stranger to private practice, having worked in the public finance group of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC for 17 years.

Armed with an upgrade, Massachusetts will go to market Wednesday with $475 million of general obligation bonds.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley approved the sale of bankrupt nonprofit Quincy Medical Center to for-profit Steward Health Care System LLC, while imposing many conditions.

The Massachusetts Senate approved an overhaul of the state’s pension system on Thursday after a debate that divided majority Democrats uneasy about offending their political base.

Transportation Secretary Richard Davey warned that closing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s budget deficit next year without fare hikes or service cuts would be “very difficult.”

Legislation enabling three Las Vegas-style casinos and one slot parlor in Massachusetts is credit negative for casinos throughout the Northeast, but particularly for those in neighboring Connecticut and Rhode Island, Moody’s Investors Service said.

With a bond offering pending in two weeks, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and other officials are making pitches to the three major credit agencies to improve the state's bond rating.