Minnesota

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.

Minnesota tentatively plans to price $468 million issue of general fund appropriation-backed bonds next week for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium.

The Minnesota Supreme Court refused to block the state's sale of $468 million of general fund appropriation-backed bonds to help pay for the new $975 million Minnesota Vikings NFL football stadium.

Standard & Poor's signaled that Fairview Health Services in Minnesota could win an upgrade over the next two years due to its strong business position and improved governance and management.

Lawyers for Minnesota Management and Budget and for citizens challenging the state's $468 million bond issue for a new Vikings football stadium laid out their cases with the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Lawyers for Minnesota and for citizens challenging the legality of the state's $468 million appropriation-backed bond sale for the Vikings football stadium faced a Thursday deadline to make their case for a Minnesota Supreme Court review.