Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan may no longer be physically present in Springfield to run the legislative show.
But the Velvet Hammer remains in spirit, as demonstrated by action taken by Madigan’s successor when a subordinate got a little bit too independent for his own good.
The power play pulled by current Speaker Chris Welch not only demonstrated an arbitrary approach to the exercise of power but hostility toward holding the line on state spending during a difficult budget-making process.
Here’s the deal.
Last week, Welch summarily removed Democratic House member Fred Crespo from his post as appropriations committee chairman, stripped him of staff assistance, threw him off the audit commission and banished him from the Democratic House caucus.
That leaves Crespo as, essentially, a man without a party — neither a Republican nor acceptable to Democrats. His constituents also are out of luck.
Crespo’s sin?
The General Assembly has until May 31 to pass the 2025-26 budget, and Crespo is concerned about two things — spending money the state doesn’t have and raising taxes.
He wants to avoid both options.
As an alternative, Crespo created his own budget plan that salvaged $4 billion in spending in 2025-26 by blocking spending on discretionary programs, freezing state hiring, permitting borrowing from special state funds, and creating $1.6 billion in reserves.
Welch apparently was enraged by the display of independence. He’s characterized Crespo as a team member who stepped out of line with him and his fellow Democrats.
“I can’t allow someone to go rogue and be an individual,” he told Springfield political analyst Rich Miller.
Welch’s complaint that Crespo wasn’t being a team player is understandable. In his mind, the Democratic caucus rules the House, super-minority Republicans be damned. Now add Democrats with an alternative view to what was Welch’s purely partisan hit list.
Given the problem Gov. J.B. Pritzker and super-majority legislative Democrats face in the current budget-process, one would think they might welcome an alternative proposal. After all, they don’t have to accept it, merely consider it.
Welch’s action foreshadows the opposite approach to the one Crespo recommended — higher spending and higher taxes.
The governor already has proposed a $55 billion-plus budget for 2025-26, $2 billion higher than the current year. At the same time, revenues to finance Pritzker’s budget are falling short of estimates.
The governor has indicated his opposition to tax increases while warning legislators that any proposal to increase spending in one category must be accompanied by a spending reduction in another area.
The question, of course, is whether Pritzker really means what he says.
Equally unclear is whether legislators who always want to spend more will accede to Pritzker’s warning to hold the line.
Back to Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat who has served in the House longer than Welch. Last year, he opposed the final version of the current budget because it included tax hikes and excessive spending.
Crespo escaped formal censure for his rhetorical apostasy a year ago, but not so this year for his budgeteering. He’s essentially been drummed out of the House.
The best solutions are reached after thorough and thoughtful discussions that include rigorous debate and consideration of all points of view.
Illinoisans ought to be concerned that Speaker Welch has adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach toward issues as important as taxes, spending and budgeting.
It’s no way to serve the broad public interest.
