ML-Implode News - S&P, Moody's Downgrade Illinois to Near Junk, Lowest Ever for a U.S. State

S&P warned that Illinois will likely lose its investment-grade status, an unprecedented step for a state, around July 1 if leaders haven't agreed on a budget that chips away at the government's chronic deficits. Moody's followed S&P's downgrade Thursday, citing Illinois's underfunded pensions and the record backlog of bills that are equivalent to about 40 percent of its operating budget.
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Illinois hasn't had a full year budget in place for the past two years amid a clash between the Democrat-run legislature and Republican Governor Bruce Rauner. That's left the fifth most-populous state with a record $14.5 billion of unpaid bills, ravaged entities like universities and social service providers that rely on state aid and undermined Illinois's standing in the bond market, where investors have demanded higher premiums for the risk of owning its debt. Moody's called Illinois "an outlier among states" after suffering eight downgrades in as many years.

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S&P, Moody's Downgrade Illinois to Near Junk, Lowest Ever for a U.S. State