Bob Smith (New Jersey State Senator)

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Sen. Bob Smith

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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. Senator Smith serves on the Senate's Environment Committee (as Chair) and on the Judiciary Committe. Smith was elected to his first Senate term November 2001 to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of John Lynch.

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 1994-1995 and as the Parliamentarian from 1988-1989.

Senator Smith sponsored and passed laws dealing with such critical 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. Senator Smith has been involved in the fight to protect citizens from lead poisoning.

In the devastation following Hurricane Floyd, Senator Smith sponsored the Emergency Disaster Relief Act and Local Flood Aid Act to aid economic recovery. In the closing days of the 2001 legislative session Senator Smith fought for the rights of New Jersey National Guard students., who were being forced to register for classes after their civilian peers, as the colleges and universities were not reimbursed for providing their educational benefits. Smith sponsored and had a law passed that provided for the funding of education and allowed for the National Guard students to register along with their fellow students.

Senator Smith served as Mayor of Piscataway Township from 1981-1986, served on the Piscataway Township Council from 1977-1980, its Planning Board from 1975-1986 (as its Chair in 1976) and on the Piscataway Environmental Committee from 1971-1975.

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 evironmental science and chemistry at Middlesex County College for 15 years. By profession, Senator Smith is an attorney.

District 17

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 17th Legislative District are:

Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula, and
Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan

External links

New Jersey Senate

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