STREAMWOOD, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, was recently honored by the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) for his work to prioritize safety and individualize patient care by ensuring hospitals enforce nurse-patient ratios.

“I am honored to have received this award by such tireless advocates for our medical professionals,” Crespo said. “I’m thankful for the leadership of Alice Johnson, Terence Yee and Doris Carroll. I remain committed to ensuring nurses in Illinois have improved, safe work conditions in order to provide patients the quality care they deserve.”

Crespo was honored with the “Friend of Nursing Award” by the INA. This legislative session, he worked with the INA and National Nurses United on the Safe Patient Limits Act (HB 2604), which would set a maximum number of patient assignments that a registered nurse (RN) in a hospital can get, prioritizing the safety of both patients and nurses. Crespo’s measure passed the House Labor Committee this spring and awaits further action.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, was honored with the 2019 Legislator of the Year Award at Leyden Family Service’s 17th Annual Fundraising Gala for his enduring work to improve the State’s managed Medicaid system.

“I’m humbled to receive this award from an organization that is so committed to serving our community,” Crespo said. “The incompetence and negligence of the Rauner administration seriously impacted organizations like Leyden. While we’ve made some progress, much work remains to be done to ensure they can continue serving local residents.”

Crespo was honored with the Legislator of the Year Award by Hoffman Estates’ Leyden Family Service for his continuous work to improve Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). Leyden is a local social service organization that provides mental health and substance abuse services to suburban residents. According to their CEO, Bruce Sewick, 63% of the clients they serve are recipients of managed Medicaid, which recently came under serious scrutiny as a result of an audit that Crespo demanded.

In 2018, the audit revealed that Bruce Rauner’s Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) failed to properly monitor $7.11 billion in payments made to and by MCOs. Among other things, the report found that the DHFS was unable to provide complete data on what percentage of each MCO’s premium income went to health care and quality improvement. Organizations like Leyden have struggled to receive payment for the services they provide to a majority of their clients and Crespo has been at the forefront of much-needed reform and transparency.

“We’re honored to award Leader Fred Crespo with such distinction as he’s been a champion for social service organizations like ours, particularly during the Rauner administration when our ability to provide potentially lifesaving services to our community’s most vulnerable residents was severely hindered,” said Bruce Sewick, CEO of Leyden Family Service.

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STREAMWOOD, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, is inviting local families and seniors to receive help reducing their property tax bills at an upcoming Property Tax Appeal

Workshop with Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison and other local leaders on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Park Place Recreation Center, located 550 S. Park Blvd in Streamwood.

“With property taxes nearing unprecedented levels, I’ve been working with our local officials to ensure middle-class families and seniors are aware of the appeal process,” Crespo said. “This will be our second property tax appeal workshop of the month, so I encourage folks that weren’t able to join us this week to bring their latest tax bill and receive help with reducing their property tax bill.”

Experts from the office of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi will be on hand to help families and seniors understand the process of appealing their property tax bill. Homeowners can learn about the basics of property assessments, how to appeal the assessment, as well as what exemptions are available. Homeowners are encouraged to bring their most recent assessments and a valid state ID or driver’s license to receive help.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rep. Crespo’s full-time constituent service office at 630-372-3340.

Who:   State Rep. Fred Crespo

            Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison

            Office of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and other local leaders

What:  Property Tax Appeal Seminar

When:  Tuesday, Oct. 8

            6 p.m.

Where: Park Place Recreation Center

              550 S. Park Blvd

              Streamwood

STREAMWOOD, Ill. – In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, is highlighting the Illinois Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP), which provides free screenings to Illinois women who lack access to health care coverage.

“Like with any illness, early detection and treatment of breast cancer is critical,” Crespo said. “While we work to address some of the systemic issues within our health care system, we’ve made sure that at risk women have access to free breast cancers screenings and treatment if need be.”

Crespo is encouraging women in need to take advantage of the Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). The program is operated by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and provides eligible women free breast exams and mammograms, as well as Pap tests and pelvic exams. Women are eligible for these services if they are an uninsured Illinois resident between the ages of 35 and 64. Additionally, if someone who is enrolled in the IBCCP is diagnosed with cancer through the program’s screenings and tests, they would be eligible to receive treatment benefits. For more information, please visit www.dph.illinois.gov or call the Illinois Women’s Health-Line at 1-888-522-1282.

This spring, Crespo supported a bipartisan, balanced budget that provided $14.5 million for these potentially lifesaving services for Illinois women, as well as legislation to mandate that insure companies cover diagnostic mammograms as part of preventative care.

“It is unacceptable that cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women and yet many Illinois residents lack access to potentially lifesaving services whether they are insured or not,” Crespo said. “We made significant progress this year to expand access to health care and I remain committed to supporting initiatives that advance the priorities of women, children and families in our state.”  

HANOVER PARK, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, is inviting local families and seniors to receive help reducing their property tax bills at his upcoming Property Tax Appeal

Workshop with the Office of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hanover Township Senior Center, located 240 S. Route 59 in Barlett.

“Rising property taxes are really hurting suburban communities like the ones I represent,” Crespo said. “Oftentimes, local families and seniors do not know that they may be able to appeal their property tax bill, which is why I’m working with our local assessors to help provide crucial information to our community.”

This event is free and open to the public. Experts will be on hand to help local residents understand the process of appealing the assessed value of their homes. Homeowners can learn about the basics of property assessments, how to appeal the assessment and what exemptions are available. Homeowners are encouraged to bring their most recent assessments and a valid state ID or driver’s license to receive help.

If you are unable to attend this event, Crespo will hosting a second seminar on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at the Park Place Recreation Center in Streamwood. For more information, please contact Rep. Crespo’s full-time constituent service office at 630-372-3340.

Who:   State Rep. Fred Crespo

Office of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi

Hanover Township and other local leaders

What:  Property Tax Appeal Seminar

When:  Wednesday, Oct. 2

  6:30 p.m.

Where: Hanover Township Senior Center

              240 S. Route 59

              Bartlett

STREAMWOOD, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, will help local residents reduce their property tax bills at two property tax appeal workshops in early October with local leaders and the Office of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi.

“Whether it was through my work to ensure seniors do not miss out on their exemptions or ensuring local schools are less dependent on local revenues, we took good first steps to begin the process of delivering real property tax relief for the middle class,” Crespo said. “I’m working with local leaders to bring resources to my community to ensure families and seniors are able to navigate the appeal process.”

Crespo will host appeal seminars on the following dates and at the following locations:        

• Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hanover Township Senior Center, located at 240 S. Route 59 in Barlett.
• Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Park Place Recreation Center, located at 550 S. Park Blvd. in Streamwood.

These events are free and open to the public. Experts will be on hand to help local residents understand the process of appealing the assessed value of their homes. Homeowners can learn about the basics of property assessments, how to appeal the assessment and what exemptions are available. Homeowners are encouraged to bring their most recent assessments and a valid state ID or driver’s license to receive help. Homeowners can print the necessary appeal documents at tinyurl.com/yxe8xr44 (case-sensitive) and fill out as much as they can before the event.

“The appeal process can be complicated, so I encourage people to join us at either of these events and bring forward any questions they may have,” Crespo added. “In the meantime, I’ll be serving as member of our bipartisan group to deliver comprehensive solutions to lower the tax burden on middle class families and seniors in our community.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new law from state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, will provide school districts with additional tools to avert misconduct by educators and prevent the hiring of individuals with criminal records.

“There is no more important job as a legislator than to protect children and keep their learning environments safe,” Crespo said. “This legislation will help prevent the series of unfortunate cases we’ve seen recently by implementing a comprehensive approach to address gaps in the law that have put the safety of students at risk.”

Crespo worked on Senate Bill 456 with a coalition that included the Chicago Public Schools, Children’s Advocacy Center, the Illinois State Board of Education, school management groups, and teachers unions. Crespo’s measure, which was recently signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, will require schools to check sex offender and violent offender databases every five years for all employees, ban schools from knowingly employing people who have been found to abuse or neglect children and allow the state to suspend a teacher’s license if they are charged with violent or sexual offenses. Additionally, the new law will ensure that children who experience abuse at schools are interviewed by professionals at Children’s Advocacy Centers.

“There’s nothing more important than ensuring school safety for our students, teachers and staff.  That’s why we are grateful to Representative Crespo for his work to bring everyone together to strengthen the protections in our schools,” said Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery.

“This legislation will ensure that every child who experiences sexual abuse by a school professional will be treated in a trauma-informed way, ensuring professionals at children’s advocacy centers are involved from day one to make victim’s needs a priority,” Char Rivette,  Executive Director of Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center said.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Cook County seniors receiving cost-saving property tax exemptions will no longer have to go through the burdensome of reapplying every year as a result of a new law passed by state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates.  

“While we work to deliver comprehensive solutions to middle-class families and seniors through our bipartisan Property Tax Relief Task Force, we must ensure that cost-saving exemptions are accessible to all qualifying families,” Crespo said. “This new law will benefit seniors, especially those living on fixed income, by doing away with unnecessary bureaucracy and continue providing stable relief.”

Crespo worked with County Cook Assessor Fritz Kaegi to pass House Bill 833, which creates a five-year pilot program from 2020 to 2024 for qualifying seniors to continue receiving their Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption without having to reapply each year. Cook County was the only county in Illinois where older homeowners were forced by state law to go annually through the burdensome application process in order to receive this tax relief exemption.

Crespo’s law will ensure qualifying seniors do not miss out on much-needed exemptions. It was recently learned from the Cook County Treasurer’s office that as many as 26,000 Cook County seniors didn’t reapply for annual property tax exemptions and discounts, totaling an estimated $45 million in relief.

“With the Governor’s signature, I am pleased to see our state government speaking with one united voice on this issue,” Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi said. “Through intergovernmental cooperation and technological modernization within our office, seniors in Cook County will no longer be burdened with the need to reaffirm their age each year.”

“I’m grateful to Representative Crespo for his continued advocacy on this issue,” Kaegi added. “With necessary safeguards in place to prevent fraud, our office plans a swift implementation of this bill for the estimated 740,000 seniors who are eligible for it.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, is being honored by the Legal Council for Health Justice for his work enduring advocacy to ensure every child has access to educational services.

“It is honor to receive this award from the Legal Council for Health Justice, and organization that works tirelessly on behalf of our state’s most vulnerable residents,” Crespo said. “I am proud of the work we did this year to ensure parents are fully aware of the rights and services available to children with disabilities.”

The Legal Council for Health Justice is honoring Crespo with the James Monroe Smith Founder Award, which is awarded to individuals for their outstanding leadership in promoting and protecting quality, affordable, and accessible services for Illinoisans and their families. Crespo is receiving the award by the council’s first honoree, House Majority Leader Greg Harris.

This spring, Crespo championed House Bill 3302 and House Bill 3586 to ensure parents of children who are diverse learners have the tools necessary to be informed and effective advocates for their children. Both of these measures passed the House with unanimous support and now await Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s consideration.

“Rep. Crespo worked tirelessly this spring on two education bills that make sure parents of children who are diverse learners are fully informed and able to act in their children’s best interests with their schools. He is a force for quality education in Illinois,” said Thomas Yates, Executive Director at Legal Council for Health Justice.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Legislation passed by state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, that will ease the process of local seniors receiving cost-saving property tax exemptions awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s consideration.

“Skyrocketing property taxes are hurting local seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes and just recently we learned that more than 25,000 seniors in Cook County did not file for cost-saving exemptions,” Crespo said. “This legislation will reduce bureaucratic hurdles and red tape that seniors face, ensuring they receive much needed relief without having to reapply every year.”

Crespo worked with County Cook Assessor Fritz Kaegi to pass House Bill 833, which creates a five-year pilot program from 2020 to 2024 for qualifying seniors to continue receiving their Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption without having to reapply each year. Cook County is currently the only county in Illinois where older homeowners are forced by state law to go annually through the burdensome application process in order to receive this tax relief exemption. Crespo’s measure passed the General Assembly with unanimous support.

“I am grateful that my colleagues in the House and Senate unanimously supported this initiative,” Crespo added. “This is a necessary step in the right direction as it’ll bring about much needed stability to local seniors and I look forward to Governor Pritzker signing it into law.” 

Crespo represents the 44th District, which includes portions of Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Bartlett, and Elgin.