44th District hopefuls debate term limits for speaker

The candidates for the 44th District state House seat are debating whether term limits should be imposed on the House speaker position, held by Democratic state Rep. Michael Madigan for all but two of the last 33 years.

Democratic incumbent Rep. Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates said he backed a failed attempt to have the issue decided by voters through a statewide referendum, but is skeptical about term limits being the answer for the state's issues.

His Republican challenger, Katy Dolan Baumer of Streamwood, believes term limits for leadership positions are crucial to making state government more effective.

"That ensures that change and progress occurs," Baumer said, suggesting a 10-year cap. "You know that when you've done something for a long time, it's time for someone else to do it."

Baumer recognizes that if elected she would not have the clout as a first-term representative to get such a significant change made, but said everything must begin with an idea.

She said that 10 years ago, she was approached by Madigan representatives about running for the House as a Democrat. She said they told her she would be able to bring some projects home to the district but would be asked to show support for the speaker from time to time.

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he doesn't know Baumer and has no knowledge of any such interaction having taken place.

"It sounds like a desperation move by a person in the last few weeks of a campaign," Brown said.

Crespo acknowledges that he also was asked to run for the House by Democrats, but said no quid pro quo was ever asked for or expected.

"Everything I've been able to get for the district - and it's been a lot - has come from my ability to work with others," he said.

Crespo noted that he's broken from the party on several issues. He finds reports of Madigan's influence over House Democrats to be grossly exaggerated - citing as evidence the fact the speaker hasn't been able to override all of the governor's vetoes.

"At the end of the day, I'm taking direction from the people of the 44th District, not the speaker," Crespo said.

Crespo has voted for Madigan to serve as speaker in each of his five terms. He said his decision has been based on who he believes is best able to bring everyone together - particularly a very diverse Democratic caucus.

That doesn't mean he will always back Madigan in the future, he said.

If term limits are the only want to keep one person from gaining too much influence and control from growing too great over time, they should apply equally to the Senate president and governor as well, Crespo said.

The 44th District includes parts of Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Streamwood.