News and Information from Bond Buyer

The Illinois Supreme Court ordered that four pending lawsuits challenging the legality of the state's pension overhaul be consolidated and handled by the Sangamon County Circuit Court.

Philadelphia's mayor plans to sell the city's public gas works, defeasing the works bond debt in the process and raising money for the city's pension fund.

The New York City Housing Development Corp.'s board approved Mayor Bill de Blasio's appointment of Gary Rodney as president.

A recent decision by Port St. Lucie, Fla., to postpone refinancing bonds issued for the now-bankrupt Digital Domain is a credit negative, according to Moody's.

Fresh from raising $1 billion from a general obligation sale last month, Illinois returns to the market next week with a $402 million taxable revenue-backed issue as the state wrestles with an expiring income tax increase.

Moody's Investors Service said it has downgraded to A2 from A1 the rating on Columbia Local School District, Ohio's general obligation debt.

Expansion of after-school programs for middle school students will cost $190 million, said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Annual spending on roads and bridges is up to $50 billion short of what is needed to maintain and improve them, U.S. DOT said in report on transportation infrastructure

Former Harrisburg, Pa., Mayor Linda Thompson said she will run for Congress against Republican incumbent Scott Perry.

Trading activity in the municipal marketplace spiked Monday afternoon as rallying Treasuries and new retail bonds brought investors off the sidelines.

A proposal to cut the basic allowance for housing for uniformed military personnel would negatively affect the quality of 54 ratings that Moody's Investors Service maintains relating to 24 privatized military housing projects, the rating agency said Monday.

Detroit is treating the bonds issued by the Downtown Development Authority as secured, though the DDA itself is expected to take a 80% haircut on an outstanding loan, Fitch Ratings noted in a comment.

Indiana tapped a shortlist of four private teams to compete to work on the state's largest public-private partnership, a 47-mile toll highway linking the state to Illinois.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking board has increased the fees it charges for several of its data subscription products and services.

Amid worsening drought that has lowered the level of Lake Mead, The Arizona Power Authority is preparing to issue $25 million of taxable revenue bonds for upgrades to the Hoover Dam.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation aimed at helping communities deal with impacts from the state's record drought, largely by fast-tracking spending from already voter-approved bond measures.

Municipal analysts will discuss strategic outlooks at the next Logan Square meeting of the Philadelphia Mutual Analyst Society.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.050% high rate, up from 0.045% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.080% high rate, up from 0.075% the week before.

Municipal bond yields firmed Monday morning as buyers prepared for the first week of more than $5 billion of potential issuance since January.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $35 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.