Midwest

A Michigan Senate committee will take up a statutory lien bill that is part of a national debate sparked in part by Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy.

Chicago received a rare bit of good credit news Friday as Fitch Ratings elevated its outlook on O’Hare International Airport’s general credit to positive ahead of a $2 billion sale.

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded DuPage County, Ill.’s water and sewer bonds due to what the ratings agency says are volatile debt-service coverage levels.

Faltering projects designed to boost the economy can expose municipalities to the perils of backing such ventures, Moody's Investors Service said in a commentary.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his finance team can expect tough questions from the muni buyside Friday at the city’s closed-door annual investor conference.

The budget proposal Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel released this week leaves many concerns, Standard & Poor’s said in a special bulletin.

The Chicago Teachers’ Union warned that the possibility of 5,000 Chicago Public Schools teacher layoffs would create “chaos” and could drive a teachers’ strike.

Ferguson, Missouri fired back at Moody’s Investors Service for its steep downgrade to junk, accusing the rating agency of being unwilling to give it more time to provide information that would offer a fuller picture.

Passage of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed 2016 budget that socks property owners with a record tax increase to fund escalating public safety pension contributions would positively impact the city’s credit profile, Fitch Ratings said.

The new $500 million arena for the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks took a step forward when the city approved its contribution toward a $250 million public funding package.