Midwest

CHICAGO — Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis officials were breathing easier Wednesday after voters in both municipalities overwhelmingly endorsed the continued collection of a 1% tax on wages and salaries.

CHICAGO — Menasha, Wis., expects to close Wednesday on the sale of its electric utility assets to WPPI Energy in an $18 million sale-leaseback transaction to provide the bulk of funds needed to cover the city’s proposed settlement with holders of $23 million of defaulted steam plant notes.

CHICAGO — Ohio lawmakers are eying a proposal to lease the state-controlled liquor ­distribution system for $1.2 billion to a newly formed private nonprofit entity.

CHICAGO — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s long-stalled plan to restructure $165 million of debt to eliminate a shortfall in the current budget won legislative approval Tuesday and will go before the State Building Commission Wednesday as officials work to complete the deal before an April 14 deadline.

CHICAGO — The Urbana, Ill.-based health care provider Carle Foundation is set to enter the market later this month with $230 million of new-money debt, and will privately place another $100 million of bonds with two banks in a structure that lowers borrowing costs and limits liquidity risks.

CHICAGO — Indiana’s governor would have sole power to create new toll roads and enter into public-private partnerships for highway projects under a bill already passed by the Senate and expected to be considered by a House subcommittee as early as Wednesday.

CHICAGO — Voters in Kansas City and St. Louis will cast votes Tuesday on whether their cities can continue collecting one of their main sources of revenues — a 1% tax on wages and salaries — in a decision that stands to impact their credit ratings.

CHICAGO — Indiana is considering increasing its pension contribution levels over the next two years to bolster the funded ratios of state-supported pension plans to past high levels that were considered a top credit strength for the triple-A rated state.

CHICAGO — The Lombard Public Facilities Corp. in Illinois has extended to April 14 its tender invitation to holders of $144 million of revenue bonds issued to help finance its hotel and conference center to give bondholders more time to review its restructuring proposal.

CHICAGO — Wisconsin lawmakers could vote as soon as Tuesday on the remaining pieces of legislation designed to eliminate a shortfall in the current state budget primarily by restructuring outstanding general obligation debt.