Downgrades

Weakening support for Oklahoma State University led Fitch Ratings to lower its rating one notch to AA-minus as OSU prepares to issue $77 million of revenue bonds.

Our guest, Eden Perry, the new head of public finance at S&P, describes her vision of the rating agency's role and her goals for her tenure. Criteria changes, surveillance, multi-notch downgrades, and diversifying the staff are all front and center. John Hallacy hosts.

Birmingham, Alabama's general obligation bond rating was lowered one notch by Fitch due to growing pension liabilities.

Moody's Investors Service said Jacksonville's litigation to repudiate a power contract raises questions about its willingness to make good on obligations.

The ratings of four Southeast public power agencies were lowered due to uncertainty about future costs to build the new reactors.

S&P is the second ratings service to warn of possible downgrade because of the system's growing debt burden.

A newly released research paper found that the probability that a state general obligation bond will be rated higher after the Dodd-Frank Act is 2.7 times greater than before the law was enacted.

MSU plans to issue roughly $784 million of bonds, $450 million of which will be used to cover settlement costs from the sexual abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar.

Moody's has cut the ratings of 31 Illinois municipalities due in part to pension strains over the last 18 months.

S&P Global Ratings lowered its long-term rating and underlying rating (SPUR) three notches to 'B' from 'BB' on Northeastern Illinois University Board of Trustees' outstanding university facilities system (UFS) and certificates of participation (COPS) bonds, issued for Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU).