Munis

As climate and cybersecurity risks intensify, Jeff Lipton argues it's time for the legal community to lead a new era of municipal disclosure — tightening language, clarifying exposures, and ensuring investor confidence.

Pennsylvania's budget impasse has surpassed four months. Local governments and schools that rely on state funds are getting frustrated.

The rating agency expects the school to post an operating deficit this year.

Issuance year-to-date is $493.063 billion, up 9.3% from $451.079 billion over the same period. With issuance estimated at $13.118 billion in the first week of November, 2024's $500-plus billion record should fall within the next week or two.

The school system, which has an AA underlying bond rating from S&P, was targeted by the Texas Education Agency for a takeover based on academic performance.

Municipal Capital Markets Group and CSG Advisors were new entrants to the top 10, kicking Caine Mitter and Estrada Hinojosa into the top 15.

The city said it will take a wide range of measures to try to get through November and December without running out of money.

The one-notch upgrade to AA-minus for Oklahoma's flagship university was assigned to an upcoming approximately $160.7 million bond refunding.

Chicago Public Schools went to market this week with nearly $1.1 billion of refunding bonds in the largest municipal transaction the district ever completed.

Overall, the top underwriters saw minor shuffling in the first three quarters and no new firms entered the top 10.

The Virginia Governor's race could put Democrats in charge of all three branches in the Old Dominion, as Abigail Spanberger goes up against Winsome Earle-Sears who has floated tapping the state's rainy-day fund to prop up Medicaid.

Approval by Doña Ana County of $165 billion of industrial revenue bonds for a massive data center project is being challenged in state court.

New York boasts four of the top 10 issuers, followed by California and Alabama, each with two, and one apiece for Wisconsin and Massachusetts.

After Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested its superintendent, Des Moines Public Schools is taking a $265 million GO bond measure to voters.

Contractors that have been absorbing cost increases in fixed-price projects may insist on the more flexible pricing built into progressive design-build delivery models.

Analyst and market strategist Jeff Lipton joins the team to deliver clarity and thoughtful guidance to a market witnessing evolving complexities — connecting policy moves, credit shifts and investment behavior to help our readers navigate what comes next.

Moody's cited the school's weakening liquidity levels in its downgrade.

Gilmore & Bell and Nixon Peabody were new entrants in the top 10, bumping Greenberg Traurig and Bracewell to the top 15.

Voters will decide the fate of 447 bond propositions totaling a record $83.7 billion with development-related districts accounting for most of the debt.

"BDA supports the proposal and we encourage the commission to approve it," its letter said.