Minnesota

Minnesota will take bids Tuesday on a rare certificates of participation issue for $85.4 million Tuesday to raise funds to finance a new legislative office building that was the subject of a legal challenge.

The Regents of the University of Minnesota will sell $141 million of general obligation bonds Thursday to finance construction of a new ambulatory care center.

Minnesota added $150 million to its budget reserves at the start of the fiscal year July 1, bolstering the funds to $811 million.

The Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency is touting its strong financial profile and solid ratings as it prepares to double its debt load with a $320 million issue Thursday to finance a new hydroelectric plant that will bolster its renewable energy generating sources

The Ramsey County, Minn. board of commissioners approved spending $10.55 million to purchase a sports complex financed with $27 million of now-defaulted bonds sold by Vadnais Heights.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed legislation authorizing $1.1 billion in mostly bond-financed infrastructure spending and extending the state's ability to do negotiated bond sales for four years.

Two former Minneapolis-based Northland Securities veterans have returned to the firm to bolster its education work.

The Minnesota Legislature on Friday approved a $1 billion package of capital projects primarily financed with general obligation borrowing.

The Minnesota House was expected to vote on a $1.1 billion capital budget that primarily relies on general obligation borrowing.

A declining number of Midwestern high school graduates is adding to already highly competitive environment further straining the region's small colleges, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Standard & Poor's revised its outlook on Mayo Clinic's AA rating to stable from negative due to its improved operating results.

Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. extended its public finance banking reach to Minnesota, establishing a new Minneapolis office by hiring Paul Donna, Michael Hoheisel, and Matt Rantapaa from Northland Securities.

Minnesota lawmakers were poised Thursday to vote on a plan to tap $434 million of the state's $1.2 billion budget surplus for tax relief and to set aside another $150 million to bolster budget reserves.

Moody's Investors Service revised its outlook on HealthEast Care System's junk bond rating to positive, signaling the Minnesota system could see a return to investment grade territory if its fiscal performance remains on track.

Minnesota raised its projected budget surplus by $400 million to $1.2 billion on Friday providing the state's Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party leaders with room to spend more, bolster reserves and trim taxes in the new legislative session.

President Obama proposed a four-year, $302 billion surface transportation infrastructure construction and repair program.

Midwestern volume dwindled by 18.1 % in 2013 to $59.1 billion from nearly $72.2 billion a year earlier as rising interest rates sapped refunding opportunities and lackluster new-money issuance did little to offset the drop.

A proposed settlement between Monticello, Minn., and investors holding its defaulted $26.4 million of telecommunication revenue bonds is advancing with the filing of a new class action bondholder lawsuit that is considered part of the settlement process.

Minneapolis priced $60 million of taxable general obligation bonds for its contribution to a financing package for the Downtown East development project adjacent to the new Minnesota Vikings stadium.

Minnesota plans to sell $468 million of general fund appropriation-backed bonds for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium on Monday, two weeks after the state pulled the deal due to an 11th hour legal challenge.