Midwest

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday signed an executive order freeing state employees who opt not to join a union from having to pay so-called "fair share" fees used to fund unions' political activities.

More urgent budget problems, and a partisan divide, mean an uncertain fate for proposals by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner to establish a Chapter 9 bankruptcy law for local governments and passage of a constitutional amendment on pensions.

Indiana finance chief Kendra York has quit to join an engineering firm that works on public-private partnerships, and Gov. Mike Pence has appointed long-time public finance figure Dan Huge as interim director.

Nebraska legislators will hold a public hearing March 3 on a bill that would give bondholders priority over retirees in the event of a bankruptcy.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is defending plans to pay top fiscal aide Donna Arduin $120,000 under a four month, non-competitively bid contract, calling his new chief financial well worth the expense to help fix the state's fiscal mess.

A day after Wayne County officials warned of a grim financial picture, Moody's Investors Service stripped the county of its investment-grade rating and Fitch Ratings put its already junk-bond ratings on negative watch.

Missouri will soon be in the market for a new transportation leader following the announcement that Department of Transportation Director Dave Nichols plans to retire May 1.

Triple-A Missouri would issue its first new money general obligation paper in eight years under Gov. Jay Nixon's proposal to tap $70 million in voter approved bonding authority to finance water system projects.

An issuer in Virginia recently disclosed an Internal Revenue Service audit of bonds it issued in 2006, and a borrower in Indiana and an issuer in Pennsylvania disclosed that the IRS has closed audits of their bonds.

Michigan gave Flint $2 million to improve its water quality, which has plummeted since it exited Detroit's system, under the state's new distressed cities program.