Ron Stephens
Encyclopedia
Ron Stephens is a Republican
member of the Illinois House of Representatives
, representing the 102nd district since 1993. He is currently the Assistant Republican Leader in the state House. The district includes portions of Bond County
, Madison County
, Effingham County, Fayette County
and St. Clair County
.
He and his wife Lisa have nine children between them and live in Greenville
. Stephens is a licensed pharmacist
and co-owns two pharmacies.
."
Stephens has opposed the electric rate relief package proposed by the General Assembly as not giving customers enough money back from Ameren
. Stephens said, "This supposed 'rate relief' package will only give back seven or eight dollars a month to Ameren customers who have seen their electric bills go up by hundreds of dollars a month. Who are they kidding? This legislation is disgraceful." Ameren maintains that they must raise prices due to a nine-year price freeze, and that if they do not raise prices on customers, their credit will suffer so much they will not be able to purchase electricity on the market and will go into junk bond status.
After a recent DUI arrest, coupled with previous discipline for the abuse of controlled substances, Stephens faced revocation of his pharmacist license. He pled guilty to DUI in July 2010 and because of his past habitual drug use, agreed to monthly drug tests. His pharmacy license is on "indefinite" probation, for a minimum of one year. http://www2.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_bdb1724a-894b-11df-a244-00127992bc8b.html
On November 30, 2010, while the politician was still being subjected to monthly drug tests, Ron Stephens was one of the biggest opponents of and voted against the proposed medical marijuana bill in Illinois. The bill narrowly failed passing. Stephens was quoted as saying "This should be called the marijuana possession law ... It doesn’t restrict the use in any one way.” http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/11/medical-marijuana-measure-fails-in-illinois-house.html
That same week, Stephens was a vocal opponent of the Illinois Civil Unions bill, which passed despite his opposition. He said civil unions were a "slippery slope" and "just call me an old fashioned traditionalist" going on to say that it will lead to society crumbling and failing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVHnVQu40ZI
paid for a $600 makeup tab with public funds, Stephens asked the House Speaker Michael Madigan
before recess on a Friday when the "Gubernatorial Cosmetology Committee" would be meeting.
In October 2008, Stephens was interviewed by the Associated Press
regarding Blagojevich's executive order implementing FamilyCare, an expansion of the healthcare system that never gained the General Assembly's approval and was declared unconstitutional by two courts. After state departments sent pharmacies that had participated in the program notices that they would not be paid for the services rendered under the program, Stephens told the AP that Blagojevich should pay for the prescription drugs out of his own private accounts.
to discuss the Governor's executive order that pharmacist
s must dispense any drugs for which a customer had a valid prescription, including birth control
pills and Plan B
. Blagojevich was interviewed by Jason Jones
who repeatedly pretended to be unable to pronounce Blagojevich and simply called him "Governor Smith". This prompted Blagojevich to turn to the camera and ask "Is he teasing me or is that legit?" Two weeks after the interview, Blagojevich admitted that he was unaware of the nature of the show. Stephens said he knew beforehand that the show was a comedy show: "I thought the governor was hip enough that he would have known that, too."
Stephens later said, "With all due respect to the governor, he knew it was a comedy show. It's general knowledge for people under 90 years of age. It was when he came off looking so silly that he said he thought it was a regular news program. Even assuming he didn't know about it beforehand, we had to sign a release before the interview."
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
, representing the 102nd district since 1993. He is currently the Assistant Republican Leader in the state House. The district includes portions of Bond County
Bond County, Illinois
Bond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 17,768, which is an increase of 0.8% from 17,633 in 2000. Its county seat is Greenville, Illinois....
, Madison County
Madison County, Illinois
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...
, Effingham County, Fayette County
Fayette County, Illinois
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,140, which is an increase of 1.6% from 21,802 in 2000. Its county seat is Vandalia...
and St. Clair County
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
.
He and his wife Lisa have nine children between them and live in Greenville
Greenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
. Stephens is a licensed pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
and co-owns two pharmacies.
Political positions
Stephens was critical of the Democratic majority leadership in the state and the General Assembly during the 2007 budget crisis: "You had everything that the political world could give you, and you have squandered it. You have squandered it at taxpayers' expense. Democrats, with all the power the people could give them, have failed the people of IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
."
Stephens has opposed the electric rate relief package proposed by the General Assembly as not giving customers enough money back from Ameren
Ameren
Ameren Corporation was created December 31, 1997 by the merger of Missouri's Union Electric Company and the neighboring Central Illinois Public Service Company . It is now a holding company for several power companies and energy companies. The company is based in St...
. Stephens said, "This supposed 'rate relief' package will only give back seven or eight dollars a month to Ameren customers who have seen their electric bills go up by hundreds of dollars a month. Who are they kidding? This legislation is disgraceful." Ameren maintains that they must raise prices due to a nine-year price freeze, and that if they do not raise prices on customers, their credit will suffer so much they will not be able to purchase electricity on the market and will go into junk bond status.
After a recent DUI arrest, coupled with previous discipline for the abuse of controlled substances, Stephens faced revocation of his pharmacist license. He pled guilty to DUI in July 2010 and because of his past habitual drug use, agreed to monthly drug tests. His pharmacy license is on "indefinite" probation, for a minimum of one year. http://www2.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_bdb1724a-894b-11df-a244-00127992bc8b.html
On November 30, 2010, while the politician was still being subjected to monthly drug tests, Ron Stephens was one of the biggest opponents of and voted against the proposed medical marijuana bill in Illinois. The bill narrowly failed passing. Stephens was quoted as saying "This should be called the marijuana possession law ... It doesn’t restrict the use in any one way.” http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/11/medical-marijuana-measure-fails-in-illinois-house.html
That same week, Stephens was a vocal opponent of the Illinois Civil Unions bill, which passed despite his opposition. He said civil unions were a "slippery slope" and "just call me an old fashioned traditionalist" going on to say that it will lead to society crumbling and failing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVHnVQu40ZI
Comments regarding Governor Rod Blagojevich
After Illinois Governor Rod BlagojevichRod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
paid for a $600 makeup tab with public funds, Stephens asked the House Speaker Michael Madigan
Michael Madigan
Michael J. Madigan is the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois...
before recess on a Friday when the "Gubernatorial Cosmetology Committee" would be meeting.
In October 2008, Stephens was interviewed by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
regarding Blagojevich's executive order implementing FamilyCare, an expansion of the healthcare system that never gained the General Assembly's approval and was declared unconstitutional by two courts. After state departments sent pharmacies that had participated in the program notices that they would not be paid for the services rendered under the program, Stephens told the AP that Blagojevich should pay for the prescription drugs out of his own private accounts.
Daily Show appearance
In early February 2006, Stephens challenged Blagojevich in an appearance on The Daily ShowThe Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
to discuss the Governor's executive order that pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
s must dispense any drugs for which a customer had a valid prescription, including birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
pills and Plan B
Levonorgestrel
Levonorgestrel is a second generation synthetic progestogen used as an active ingredient in some hormonal contraceptives.-Chemistry:...
. Blagojevich was interviewed by Jason Jones
Jason Jones (actor)
Jason Jones is a Canadian actor and comedian who is a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.-Life and career:Jones was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He attended Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto...
who repeatedly pretended to be unable to pronounce Blagojevich and simply called him "Governor Smith". This prompted Blagojevich to turn to the camera and ask "Is he teasing me or is that legit?" Two weeks after the interview, Blagojevich admitted that he was unaware of the nature of the show. Stephens said he knew beforehand that the show was a comedy show: "I thought the governor was hip enough that he would have known that, too."
Stephens later said, "With all due respect to the governor, he knew it was a comedy show. It's general knowledge for people under 90 years of age. It was when he came off looking so silly that he said he thought it was a regular news program. Even assuming he didn't know about it beforehand, we had to sign a release before the interview."
External links
- Illinois General Assembly - Representative Ron Stephens (R) 102nd District official IL House website
- Project Vote Smart - Ron Stephens profile
- Follow the Money - Ron Stephens
- Illinois House Republican Caucus - Ron Stephens profile