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Standard & Poor's upgraded Aspirus Inc. Obligated Group by one level to A-plus ahead of its $40 million fixed-rate issue.

Kansas is seeking underwriters for a pension bond issue after Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill authorizing $1 billion of bonds for the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.

House Speaker Michael Madigan is taking aim at Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed $32 billion fiscal 2016 budget with the formation of a special oversight panel that will “closely examine” Rauner’s spending cuts.

A network interruption brought down the financial market’s largest inventory management system Friday morning, stifling municipal bond trading on some platforms and highlighting vulnerability of the market to technological failures.

Municipal bond issuance is set to jump in the coming week led by deals from the West Coast, as issuers look to lower borrowing costs.

In another big headline event for the Chicago Public Schools ahead of its bond sale, the district's chief executive officer is temporarily stepping aside as federal authorities probe a $20.5 million no-bid contract awarded to her former employer.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds finished out the week little changed, according to traders, as the market worked off the week’s hefty volume. Almost $8 billion of bonds came to market during the week ended April 17, according to Thomson Reuters, with the calendar consisting of about $5.4 billion of negotiated deals and $2.6 billion of competitive sales.

Standard & Poor's upgraded Brownsville to AA from AA-minus, citing the southernmost Texas city's strengthening economy and falling unemployment.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded New Jersey County College Enhancement Bond Program (Chapter 12) financing level ratings of five counties to A3 from A2.

Congressional proposals filed Thursday to bolster the Highway Trust Fund include a a 66% increase in the gasoline tax and corporate tax reform.

Detroit Public Schools' CFO William Aldridge's departure comes at a critical time for the struggling district.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is well situated to deal with the state’s drought and prepare for the next one, the chief financial officer told a standing-room-only crowd at JPMorgan’s now annual public finance transportation and utility conference in New York.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds were unchanged at mid-session, traders said, as the market looks ahead to an almost $9 billion slate of new bonds for next week, topped off by several big deals from Far West issuers.

New Jersey's credit rating was cut one notch with a negative outlook by Moody's Investors Service, which cited the state's budget and pension funding struggles.

New York State and New York City comptrollers Thomas DiNapoli and Scott Stringer, respectively, called on the SEC to compel fossil fuel industry companies to better disclosure climate change material risks

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services raised its long-term rating to A from A-minus on Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority's series 2011 JJ1 and R1 bonds, issued on behalf of Mount Aloysius College.

Massachusetts intends to sell $550 million of general obligation bonds through a competitive offering, the commonwealth's first under state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg.

The House on Thursday passed a bill to make the state and local sales tax deduction permanent.