Wisconsin

CHICAGO — Milwaukee city and county voters chose new comptrollers last week, while those in a tornado-ravaged Missouri city approved bonding for school building projects, and St. Louis County voters approved new debt for courthouse projects.

Moody’s Investors Service raised its rating to Baa1 from Baa2 on Wheaton Franciscan Services in recognition of several years of improved operations at the Wisconsin hospital and the strong results expected this year.

CHICAGO — Rating pressures on five Wisconsin school districts involved in a now-worthless $200 million investment product eased on Monday when Moody's Investors Service labeled as a credit positive their partial settlement of a lawsuit against the firms that advised and arranged the deal.

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the Columbus School District one notch to A1 ahead of its $1.5 million issue that will refund a Wisconsin state trust fund loan.

CHICAGO – Wisconsin enters the market as soon as Wednesday with about $365 million of general obligation refunding bonds designed to capture both traditional interest-rate savings and to accomplish a debt restructuring for budgetary relief.

Wisconsin-based Michael Best & Friedrich LLP has hired public finance attorney Gregory Tears for its Milwaukee office as part of the firm's ongoing effort to rebuild its bond counsel and underwriters' counsel business.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Johnny L. Thomas Jr. has suspended his campaign for Milwaukee city comptroller after criminal charges were filed against him for accepting a bribe during a sting operation in exchange for advancing a financial advisory contract.

CHICAGO — With the prospect of a recall election ahead of him, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sought to highlight the state's improved fiscal condition after a tumultuous first year in office.

The Fox Valley Technical College will seek approval on the April 3 ballot for $66.5 million of new borrowing to finance capital projects.

The investor who holds $46 million of defaulted bonds issued by a Wisconsin tribe is taking aim at the financial and legal firms on the deal, accusing underwriter Stifel Nicolaus & Co. and bond counsel Godfrey & Kahn SC of misrepresenting the bonds' validity.

CHICAGO — After more than a year of waiting out the market, Wisconsin's largest health care provider, Aurora Health Care Inc., this week will complete refunding plans put on hold amid rising rates in 2010 with the sale of nearly $400 million of fixed-and floating-rate bonds.

CHICAGO — Organizers of the move to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker filed more than one million signatures by the Tuesday deadline in their effort to force a special election for the first-term Republican governor.

Longtime Milwaukee Comptroller W. Martin "Wally" Morics retired late last year, handing the reins of the office that manages the city's debt issuance to his longtime deputy Michael Daun until voters elect a new comptroller this April.

Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Bellin Memorial Hospital one notch to A2 in recognition of its favorable operating performance.

Moody’s Investors Service affirmed Agnesian Health Care’s A3 rating while revising its outlook to positive from stable in recognition of its favorable operating margins.

CHICAGO - Wisconsin will take competitive bids Tuesday on $138.3 million of general obligation bonds, the first half of a new-money sale to fund capital and infrastructure projects, with the remaining $130 million piece planned for early next year.

CHICAGO — A federal judge in Indiana last week gave final approval to Menasha, Wis.'s $17.5 million settlement with bondholders that resolves litigation over the city's default on $23 million of appropriation-backed notes for its failed steam plant.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the Kenosha Unified School District's general obligation rating by one notch to A1 and warned of further action by assigning a negative outlook due to the Wisconsin district's fiscal strains.

The Milwaukee County Board last week overrode many of County Executive Chris Abele’s vetoes in the $1.2 billion 2012 budget.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker last week signed legislation creating the elected post of comptroller in Milwaukee County to manage debt, audits, and other fiscal manners.