Former Missouri House Speaker Steven Tilley (R)
Around three weeks ago, Missouri House Speaker Steven Tilley (R) announced his resignation as both speaker and a member of the house. Tilley was term-limited and would have to leave in January regardless, but his resignation months before the end of the legislative lesson left many wondering.Ai??”My decision to resign early is one I made with my daughters and that puts my family first,” he saidAi??in an emotional written statement where he explained that being a lawmaker was keeping him away from his family.
But Tilley’s supposed desire to step away from the legislature and spend more time with his family must have been short-lived. He’ll be heading back to the Missouri capital soon — this time as a lobbyist. The St. Louis Dispatch reports:
Tilley, who resigned his House seat less than three weeks ago,Ai?? registered with the Missouri Ethics Commission today as a lobbyist for Fred Weber Inc. of Maryland Heights, a major builder of roads and bridges, and Supermarket Merchandising, a St. Louis firm. […] In registering with the Ethics Commission, Tilley listed his new firm as Strategic Capitol Consulting, based in an office building in Chesterfield near Olive Boulevard and Highway 40 (I-64).
Missouri is one of fourteen states that has no restrictions on when a ex-lawmaker can become a lobbyist (35 states have “cooling off” periods that must pass first). This ethical loophole allows legislators like Tilley to tell the public that they simply want to spend more time with the family then be back at the state capitol in no time, winning special deals for corporations as well-paid lobbyists. If Missourians don’t think this is right, they should ask their lawmakers to close this squeaky revolving door by at least imposing a cooling off period.
What a prime example of corruption! Another vital reform that needs implementation is to make ILLEGAL any lobbying activity done on behalf of an entity different from the person(s) lobbying. If an organization wishes to lobby for some issue, it should be willing to do that itself and not hire one of these law firms (or ex-congresspeople) or lobbying agencies to do it for them. A couple of years ago, my boss who is a physician personally went to Washington, visited several senators and representatives to try and persuade them to include three items in healthcare reform. That is fine with me. He is a constituent, just like I am, who needs to express his views to his representatives. On the other hand, a group to which he belongs employs a firm to handle lobbying on their behalf; they do not do it themselves. I happen to know that this particular firm handles several clients, some of whose goals conflict with goals of other clients! That perturbs me. Here’s another example: if Defenders of Wildlife wants to lobby to save wolves, members of Defenders of Wildlife should trek to Washington to plead their case or send letters/emails. That gives officials an HONEST argument. Hiring a law firm to lobby for them just seems a dishonest approach because that law firm may not agree with their stance. People ought to be willing to advocate for what they truly, genuinely believe in, not in order to earn fees. Advocacy should not be a business but an expression of the public will.