News and Information from Bond Buyer

Rookie Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly enter the last month of the regular legislative session without visible progress on a state budget or the governor's proposed 'turnaround' plan.

Lack of action on a long-term transportation funding bill “is a joke,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Louisiana plans to move forward with the competitive issuance of $335 million in general obligation bonds amid ongoing questions surrounding the state’s budget deficit.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., expanded its public finance practice with the addition of Christie Lombard Martin, who will be a member in the firm's Boston office.

MTA Chief Thomas Prendergast wants New York City to contribute $300 million to the agency’s capital plan and $1 billion further for the Second Avenue line.

Moody's Investors Service said it has upgraded East Brandywine, Pa.'s general obligation rating to Aa3 from A2.

Warning the Internal Revenue Service that its proposed issue price rules would disrupt the muni bond marketplace, increase regulatory complexity, and drive up compliance and borrowing costs, Bond Dealers of America is proposing that the agency instead make modest changes to its current rules and then enforce them.

Tom Becket of NW Financial Group, will deliver a presentation called "What an Issuer's Financial Advisor Wants a Bond Investor to Know" to the Philadelphia Area Municipal Analyst Society.

Ohio-based Promedica Health System Inc. must divest itself of another local hospital after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the hospital’s appeal of a lower court ruling blocking the merger.

Prices of top-quality municipal bonds were weaker at mid-session, traders said, with yields on some maturities rising by as much as four basis points.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $30 billion of four-week bills at a zero high yield, a price of par.

Arizona gets a ratings lift from Moody's Investors Service to Aa2 from Aa3 as analysts cite efforts to stabilize the state budget.

International Trade Feb.: -$35.9B March: -$40.3B March: -$51.4B ISM Non-Manufacturing March: 56.5 April: 56.5 April: 57.8

The U.S. services sector expanded at a faster pace in April as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 57.8 in the month, compared to 56.5 in March, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Tuesday.

The first of the week's new deals are set to come to market on Tuesday, led by a three-pronged competitive general obligation bond sale from the state of Ohio totaling $345 million.

Lumesis Inc. has formed a strategic relationship with Pershing LLC that will give immediate access to DIVER Advisor’s municipal bond reports and compliance solutions to Pershing’s clients.

May. 5, 2015 Southwest: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Arizona Aa3/AA+/NR 0.27 1.52 2.46 3.4 Arkansas Aa1/AA/NR 0.2 1.39 2.25 3.18 Colorado Aa1/AA/NR 0.22 1.45 2.34 3.3 Kansas Aa1/AA+/NR 0.2 1.45 2.34 3.26 New Mexico Aaa/AA+/NR 0.2 1.4 2.25 3.19 Oklahoma Aa2/AA+/AA+ 0.24 1.48 2.36 3.3 Texas Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.23 1.45 2.32 3.26 Utah Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.2 1.33 2.16 3.08

5/4/2015 4/27/2015 State Amount ($000s) Iss Amount ($000s) Chg in Amt ($000s) Arizona 6 $106,835 4 $65,455 $41,380 Arkansas 5 19,780 3 14,465 5,315 Colorado 3 54,125 0 0 54,125 Kansas 14 149,760 5 19,655 130,105 New Mexico 9 480,276 0 0 480,276 Oklahoma 43 51,215 35 91,465 -40,250 Texas 52 1,624,707 35 783,433 841,274 Utah 2 53,940 2 55,470 -1,530

Tuesday, May 5 Issuer St Description Amount

Tuesday, May 5 Issuer St Description Amount