Wisconsin

Midwest market participants and researchers say the loss of the municipal bond tax exemption could cost the region's many smaller issuers market access.

State Treasuer Brad Briner said he hopes a longer maximum maturity will lead more borrowers to use the state conduit instead of the Public Finance Authority.

Wisconsin will be in the market Wednesday with $253.9 million of general obligation bonds, with some proceeds funding the Blatnik Bridge replacement project.

Charter schools drove the worst January ever for impairments since Municipal Market Analytics began tracking default trends, the firm said in a Feb. 5 report.

It's the latest mark of distress for proton treatment centers financed with speculative-grade municipal bonds.

Some Midwest states, notably Michigan and Ohio, dipped well below a national average that saw roughly two of every three school bond measures approved in November.

Pewaukee, Wisconsin, is the target of lawsuits from a private industry group over a transportation utility fee that was struck down earlier this year.

With the rollout of a new final EPA rule, Midwest municipalities are seeking ways to finance lead pipe replacement efforts, including through revenue bonds.

After a strong jobs report this month drove mortgage rates higher, the Midwest is seeing more bonds financing loans to single-family and multifamily homebuyers.

The correction to the municipal market has improved muni to UST ratios while uncertainty hangs over ahead of the election. J.P. Morgan's Peter DeGroot said the firm expects the end of next week "will mark the end of the difficult technical period in 2024 and believe that net supply in November will lead to better valuations broadly in the municipal market."