Prairie State Wire

State Representative Jed Davis from Yorkville has claimed that fellow lawmaker Fred Crespo was removed from the Democratic caucus and stripped of his committee chairmanship after proposing a budget plan aimed at saving $4 billion. Davis made this assertion in a Facebook post.

"Rep Fred Crespo was just excommunicated," said Davis, State Representative for 75th District (R), according to Facebook. "Why? Because he dared proposing a budget saving money - saving $4 billion. Yes, in Springfield, suggesting we spend less gets you kicked out of the club. Crespo was kicked out of the democrat caucus and stripped of his chairmanship. A staffer helping him was also suspended. Their crime? Fiscal responsibility. Voters deserve better than this. Let's #freefred!"

According to Capitol News Illinois, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch has removed Democratic Representative Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates from his position as chair of the General Services Appropriations Committee and barred him from attending future Democratic caucus meetings. A statement from the speaker’s office indicates that the decision was due to Crespo's failure to communicate with House leadership and lack of coordination with colleagues during the ongoing budget process. Crespo has been advocating for fiscal restraint within the Democratic caucus, warning against relying on taxpayers to cover budget gaps. Although he supported the FY2025 budget last May, he withheld support for the revenue package.

Davis' post on Facebook | Facebook

Crespo publicly said that Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget lacks sustainable funding sources and introduces programs without clear long-term financial plans, according to Capitol News Illinois. He expressed concerns over new spending initiatives being rushed through without adequate vetting or fiscal safeguards. During an April debate on a bill regarding stipends for student teachers, Crespo remarked, "We need to start prioritizing what we want; and at the end of the day, taxpayers are going to pay for this. And at this rate, we’re just going to run out of taxpayers’ dollars to spend."

The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board criticized Speaker Welch's actions as excessive: "Springfield is confronting a $500 million-plus deficit, and Gov. JB Pritzker, the state’s top Democrat, has pledged to balance the budget without raising taxes. So what is House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch doing with two weeks left in the spring session? He’s excommunicated a long-time lawmaker, state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, from his party’s caucus." The board argued that Crespo's "sin" was his "audacity to produce his own proposal aimed at addressing the immediate budget hole while also setting aside funds for what may be more shortfalls soon to come."

Illinois lawmakers are currently engaged in intense budget debates as they approach the May 31 deadline to finalize the state's fiscal year 2026 budget, according to Axios. Governor Pritzker's proposed $55.2 billion budget faces a projected $536 million revenue shortfall. The Regional Transportation Authority is requesting $1.5 billion to prevent service cuts and layoffs, while Chicago Public Schools seeks $300 million to address a $530 million deficit.

Davis has served as a state representative since 2023 and previously worked in technical sales for Elevate Infrastructure LLC (2016-2018) and as board president of Parkview Christian Academy (2010-2023).