CHICAGO (Standard&Poor's) Jan. 12, 2009--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'AAA' standard long-term rating to Minnesota's 2009A-C general obligation (GO) bonds. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its 'AAA' rating on the state's GO-backed debt and its 'AA+' rating on the appropriation-backed debt. The outlook is stable. "The rating is based on Minnesota's deep and diverse economy supported by several regional economic hubs and anchored by the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA, the center of the upper Midwest economy," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Corey Friedman. "The state's historical ability to weather financial challenges, restore structural balance, and rebuild reserve levels is consistent with a 'AAA' credit rating, in our view; it is our expectation that
