Bob Smith (New Jersey politician) explained

Bob Smith
State Senate1:New Jersey
Term Start1:January 8, 2002
State Assembly2:New Jersey
Term Start2:January 14, 1986
Term End2:January 8, 2002
Term Start3:January 1, 1981
Term End3:January 14, 1986
Office4:Member of Piscataway Township Council
Term Start4:January 1, 1977
Term End4:December 31, 1980
Birth Date:25 March 1947
Spouse:Ellen
Occupation:Attorney
Website:Legislative Website

Bob Smith (born March 25, 1947) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2002, where he represents the 17th Legislative District. Smith was elected to his first Senate term in November 2001 to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of John Lynch.[1] Smith serves in the Senate on the Environment Committee (as Chair) and the Judiciary Committee.

Early life

Smith received a B.A. degree in 1969 from the University of Scranton in History, an M.S. in 1970 from the University of Scranton in Chemistry, an M.S. in 1973 from Rutgers University in Environmental Science and was awarded a J.D. in 1981 from the Seton Hall University School of Law. Smith taught environmental science and chemistry at Middlesex County College for 15 years. By profession, Senator Smith is an attorney. Smith served as Mayor of Piscataway, New Jersey from 1981 to 1986, served on the Piscataway Township Council from 1977 to 1980, its Planning Board from 1975 to 1986 (as its Chair in 1976) and on the Piscataway Environmental Committee from 1971 to 1975.

New Jersey Assembly

Before being elected to the State Senate, Smith served in the General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, from 1986 to 2001. In the Assembly, Smith served as the Deputy Minority Leader from 1994 to 1995 and as the Parliamentarian from 1988 to 1989.

New Jersey Senate

Smith sponsored and passed laws dealing with such matters as increasing penalties for violations of environmental laws, repairing outmoded combined sewer systems, and reforming the state's oil spill prevention efforts. Senator Smith's legislative accomplishments include authoring the Ocean Pollution Bounty Act, Sludge Management Act, Oil Spill Prevention Act, the Worker and Community Right to Know Act and the Clean Water Enforcement Act. He has sought the enactment of laws affording greater protection to child victims of abuse and sponsored bills to increase the penalties for carjacking.

In 2020, he was one of the co-sponsors of Assembly Bill 4454 (now N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.36a) which requires that a curriculum on diversity and inclusion be part of the school curriculum for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.[2]

Committee assignments

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[3]

District 17

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.[4] The representatives from the 17th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[5]

(D) (D) (D)

Electoral history

Assembly

External links

Notes and References

  1. Ackerman, Spencer. "To fill Lynch's big shoes, Smith stresses education", The Daily Targum, October 30, 2001. Accessed April 23, 2008. "Now, Assemblyman and former Piscataway Mayor Bob Smith is looking to take over for retiring State Sen. John Lynch, the powerful democrat castigated by his detractors as running 'the Lynch machine'."
  2. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2020/A4454 Bill A4454 AcaSca (2R) Session 2020 - 2021
  3. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/53/senator-smith Senator Bob Smith (D)
  4. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/constitution New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II
  5. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=17 Legislative Roster for District 17