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8/14/2019 Crespo Mailer
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Dear Neighbor,
Now that the legislative session in Springfield is over, Iwanted to take a
moment to give you an update on some of the highlights.
This was a challenging year to produce a balanced budget as we faced a
serious deficit due to the severe national recession. In response, lawmakers
voted to approve a state budget that reduces spending by several billiondollars and does not raise income taxes.
Despite a difficult budget year, we were able to make progress on several
important issues facing Illinois. We passed sweeping ethics reforms aimed
at cleaning up corruption in Springfield. I helped advance several measures
to strengthen public safety, including cracking down on gangs, stalkers and
sex offenders.
There is still a lot more work to do to get our state back on the right track,
but I am as committed as ever to fighting for your interests and making sure
our communities get their fair share of state funding.
Iwould like to hear from you. If you have questions or concerns regarding
state government, or if you need any assistance accessing services, please
call me at (630) 372-3340.
Your friend,
- = ; § ~Fred Crespo
State Representative 0 44th District
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A Balanced B U d g e tw i t h N O Tax: Increase
Like all states, Illinois is in the grips of a serious recession. Decreased
state revenues resulting fro m the eco no mic slowdown forced
lawmakers to make difficult decisions about how to balance thebudget.
Some suggested we should increase taxes as a way to produce a
balanced budget, but Representative Crespo strongly opposed any
effort to increase your income taxes. In these difficult times, with so
many p eo ple o ut o f work and families struggling to make ends meet, it
would be irresponsible to raise income taxes.
Crespo also believes that elected officials should do with less as well.
The budget this year includes a rejection of a proposed pay increase
for legislators, and cuts lawmakers' pay by mandating 12 unpaid
furlough days.
To help returning veterans, Representative Crespo helped pass
legislation that would encourage employers to hire veterans wh o
served in Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, or Iraqi
Freedom, by providing a 10% tax credit (up to $1,200) on th e wages
paid to veterans. For more information on programs to assist veterans,call 1-800-437-9824. (Senate Bill 2046, signed into law)
Rep. Crespo visits
with William Wurster,
a constituent, World
War II U.S. Army Air
Force pilot, and highly
decorated combat
veteran. fVlr. Wurster
was recognized
by the House with
a congratulatory
resolution thanking
him for his service on
the occasion of his
90th birthday.
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e a l f t j ~ l f t j gS ~ a t e G @ v e ~ l f t j m e l f t j tIn the wake of scandals in the administrations of former Governors
George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, the General Assernbly passed a
sweeping set of government reform bills - the most comprehensive
and far reaching ethics overhaul in state history. Representative Crespo
backed measures that:
Give voters the option to recall a sitting governor (House Joint
Resolution Constitutional Amendment 31, awaits action in Senate)
Make it harder for legislators to approve their own pay increases
(Senate Bill 2090, returned by Governor for additional consideration
during fall Veto Session)
Strengthen the state's Freedom of Information Act to make it easier
for citizens and journalists to gain access to government documents
and discover wrongdoing (Senate Bill 189, signed into law)
Reform state contract procurement process to end opportunities
for pay-to-play politics. (Senate Bill S1, returned by Governor for
additional consideration during fall Veto Session)
Broaden the state Ethics Act to protect whistleblowers, impose
tougher revolving-door prohibitions, prevent conflicts of interest,
provide greater investigative powers to inspectors general, and
create tougher regulat ion and disclosure requirements for lobbyists
(Senate Bill 54, signed into law)
8/14/2019 Crespo Mailer
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Representative Crespo made increasing community safety a priority
during this legislative session:
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Helping OlderAdultsto Stay IndependentRepresentative Crespo continues his efforts to help older adults lower
their property taxes and remain independent and in their own homes.
Crespo worked to lower property taxes for senior homeowners by
increasing the Senior Homestead Exemption from $3,500 to $4,000,
and seniors with an annuai income of $55,000 or lower can now qualify
for a Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze, which helps hold the line on
property tax increases.
Representative Crespo believes that senior citizens should not be
forced into a nursing home when they can stay in their own home withassistance. He is a strong supporter of the Illinois Department on Aging's
Community Care Program, which gives seniors aiternatives to nursing
homes such as in-home services and transportation options. Seniors who
want more information on staying in their own homes should call the
Senior Help Line at 1-800-252-8966.