Steven Tilley (born June 11, 1971) is a former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives. He represented District 106 ( Perry, St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve Counties) in the Missouri House of Representatives. A Republican, Tilley was elected to the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

in November 2004. He became the Majority leader in January 2008. On August 13, 2012 Tilley resigned from the Missouri House of Representatives. Tilley was elected Speaker on November 4, 2010 after the Republicans picked up 17 seats in the 2010 election. On December 13, 2010, five weeks after being elected Speaker, Tilley altered his campaign committee in order to run for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 2012.

Background and education

Education

A 1989 graduate of Perryville High School in Perryville, Missouri, Tilley received a Bachelor of Science degree from

Southeast Missouri State University Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is a public university in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In addition to the main campus, the university has four regional campuses offering full degree programs and a secondary campus housing the Holland Col ...

in 1994 and received his Doctorate of

Optometry Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care. In the Uni ...

from the

University of Missouri-St. Louis A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

School of

in 1998.Member Biography - Retrieved March 29, 2009

Marriage and Family Life

Tilley lives in Perryville. He has two children: Kourtney and Korrin. Tilley and his wife Kellie filed for divorce on September 14, 2011 after 18 years of marriage. The divorce was cited as a reason for him dropping out of the lieutenant governor race as well as resigning in August 2012 as speaker of the Missouri House five months before his term expired.

Group Memberships

Tilley is a member of the Perryville Optimist Club, Missouri Right to Life,

National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

, Missouri Optometric Association, American Optometric Association, N.F.I.B. and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. He is also a CHAMPS mentor and attends Immanuel Lutheran Church of Perryville.

Political career

Tilley served in the Missouri House from 2005 to 2012. During that time, Tilley has served as the Chairman of the House Special Committee on General Laws, Chairman of the House Ethics Committee and as Majority Floor Leader.

Speaker of the Missouri House

Republicans in the Missouri House had their biggest majority in history (106-57). Among his most visible events was erecting a statue of Rush Limbaugh in the capitol in the Hall of Famous Missourians. As Speaker of the House, Tilley served as an ex-officio member of all committees of the House. Additionally, he was specifically assigned to the House Ethics and Administration and Accounts.

Flooding Cairo controversy

In April 2011, Speaker Tilley received national media attention for controversial remarks he made about

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...

, a poor town on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. Due to heavy rainfall and high water levels on the river, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was considering a plan to destroy a levee on the Missouri side of the river in hopes of lowering the flood level and preventing severe flood damage to Cairo and other downstream areas. Destroying the levee would have flooded several hundred thousand acres of Missouri farmland. When reporters asked if he would rather see Missouri farmland flooded or the town of Cairo, Tilley responded "Cairo. I've been there. Trust me. Cairo." And further said "Have you been to Cairo? OK, then you known what I'm saying." Tilley later issued an apology:

I was asked a question about blowing up a dam in Missouri and the negative consequences that happened to Missouri. As the Speaker of the House, (I believe) my first responsibility is to Missourians. And in my effort to defend them, I went on to say some pretty insensitive and inappropriate remarks about Cairo

When later interviewed by a Missouri television station, Tilley said the accusations that he was a racist are ridiculous and that when one does as many interviews as he does, one is bound to say something stupid. The Corps of Engineers destroyed the levee on May 3, 2011, flooding 130,000 acres of Missouri farmland but saving the town of Cairo from flooding.

Electoral history

References

External links

Steven Tilley's Official House Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tilley, Steven 1971 births Living people People from Perryville, Missouri Southeast Missouri State University alumni University of Missouri–St. Louis alumni American optometrists Speakers of the Missouri House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives Politicians from Wiesbaden