Dear Friends as Your State Senator I Will Continue My Tireless
District 20 is home to one of Maryland's most engaged and diverse constituencies. Residents of the district demand strong, progressive leadership and responsive constituent service. As a Silver Spring native, and as your State Senator, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities this community has afforded me. While our quality of life has improved dramatically over the course of my lifetime, we must work to ensure we live up to our well-deserved reputation as Maryland's leader in progressive policies. Challenges in education, transportation, the environment, criminal justice and equal access remain ever-present and require effective leaders to help solve them.
As your state senator I have built relationships around the state and practiced the type of principled and collaborative leadership I believe will benefit the residents of District 20. I have delivered for our community and I have been responsive to the needs of our district. I appreciate you visiting my website, and thank you for your interest in making our community a more inclusive and equitable place for all.
I appreciate you visiting my website, and thank you for your interest in making our community a more inclusive and equitable place for all.
Keeping college affordable – I have fought alongside my Democratic colleagues to make college more affordable by freezing tuition and limiting tuition increases at Maryland's public universities. As a result, tuition at Maryland's public colleges went from being 7th most expensive in the nation to 26th least expensive. I have also been working with my colleagues to develop a plan to make community college more affordable and, in some cases, free. Access to the ballot box – Every voice in our society should be heard, and expanding access to the franchise should a priority for any thriving democracy. While in the legislature I helped lead the fight to re-enfranchise the more than 40,000 Marylanders with felony records on parole and probation regain their voting rights. Environmental justice – Baltimore has the highest emissions-related mortality rate in the nation with 130 out of every 100,000 residents likely to die prematurely in a given year due to long-term exposure to air pollution, which disproportionately affects communities of color. Clean renewable energy, such as wind and solar, does not have these harmful emissions. Focusing on rehabilitation and deterrence – I worked tirelessly to pass the Justice Reinvestment Act of 2016, which changed the criminal justice system in Maryland by repealing minimum mandatory sentences for certain nonviolent drug crimes and focusing on treatment rather than incarceration for nonviolent offenders. No guns on college campuses – College campuses should be places in which the open and free exchange of ideas is encouraged. Our students deserve a learning environment free from the fear that a firearm may be present in a classroom, the campus quad, or the dorm room. As your state senator, I have led the fight to keep guns off of our college campuses. Affordable housing – Today thousands of Marylanders are denied housing because they have a housing voucher. 79% of voucher holders in Maryland are people of color and 43% are single mothers. I've been working on legislation to prohibit this practice and to give every Marylander an opportunity to live in safe, clean housing. I'm working hard in Annapolis to ensure our immigrant communities are protected from invasive policing practices and are afforded equal access to educational, social, and economic opportunity. Equity in Education
Defending the Right to Vote
The Environment
Equal Justice for all
Common Sense Gun Legislation
Expanding Economic Opportunities
Protecting our immigrant communities
I'm working hard in Annapolis to ensure our immigrant communities are protected from invasive policing practices and are afforded equal access to educational, social, and economic opportunity.
William C. Smith Jr. was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. His parents were young adults during the height of the civil rights movement. It was their struggle and sacrifice that opened doors of opportunity for Will. His parents taught him the importance of a good education and showed him the benefit of living in a caring, engaged community. With the support of his family, Will became a first-generation college student when he attended and graduated from the College of William and Mary. He would go on to earn a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from William and Mary. After college, Will enrolled in AmeriCorps where he worked as a community engagement leader for IMPACT Silver Spring and worked at the ACLU as a Legislative Assistant. During law school Will worked at a law firm handling employment discrimination cases and sought a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, a position in which Will continues to serve in today. (Read Will's full military biography here.) In 2010, Will received a White House appointment to serve as a Director at the Department of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama. In 2014, Will was elected to represent District 20 in the Maryland House of Delegates. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, Will served on the criminal justice and family law subcommittee. Along with these roles, Will was a member of several key workgroups including Justice Reinvestment, Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights and Death with Dignity. In 2016, Will was appointed to represent District 20 in the Maryland State Senate, making him the first African-American Senator from Montgomery County. In the Senate, Will has worked to forge relationships with his colleagues from across the state and political spectrum which has allowed him to become an effective legislator in Annapolis. In 2019, Will became the 50th Chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. He is the first African American to hold that post. As Chairman, Will has championed robust criminal justice reform measures and has led efforts to provide economic and educational opportunities for all Marylanders. Today, Will continues to practice law. His practice focuses on national security and employment discrimination. (Read Will's full law biography here.) Will lives in Silver Spring with his wife, Camille, daughter, Jacqueline, and dog, Monty.
My sincerest thanks!
July 20, 2022 "A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it." – Frederick Douglass Dear Friend, Thank you for the honor and privilege of representing you in the Maryland Senate for another term. We've been through Read more about My sincerest thanks![…]
Guns in Maryland
May 31, 2022 "Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it's an international embarrassment… The idea that we have so many people dying every single day from gun violence in America is a blemish on our character as a nation." – President Joseph R. Biden (April 8, 2021) Like many of you, I Read more about Guns in Maryland[…]
2022 End of Session Report
April 15, 2022 "Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations." – Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut Dear Friend, The Maryland General Assembly recently concluded the 444th Legislative Session and I am extremely proud of what we accomplished to move every Marylander forward. Despite challenges associated with the continued COVID-19 crisis, we Read more about 2022 End of Session Report[…]
2021 End of Session Report
April 23, 2021 "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." – Maya Angelou Dear Friend, This was, in many respects, a historic legislative session. In the midst of a global pandemic and the latest iteration of a generational conversation over racial Read more about 2021 End of Session Report[…]
Reforming Parole in Maryland
My first act as Chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee was to arrange for a briefing from the Justice Policy Institute as they had recently published a shocking report which revealed devastating disparities in our criminal justice system. The report found that whereas African Americans make up 32% of Maryland's population more than 70% of Read more about Reforming Parole in Maryland[…]
2020 Police Reform Letter
June 4, 2020 Dear Friend, When I became Chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee I promised to use my time in this position to advocate for the marginalized and to do what I could to create a more equitable criminal justice system. While I am proud of what we accomplished during the truncated 2020 legislative Read more about 2020 Police Reform Letter[…]
COVID-19: Resources for Immigrants
CDC Information on COVID-19: Haga clic aquí para acceder al centro del sitio de idioma español para el control de enfermedades. Click here to access the Center for Disease Control's Spanish language information site. COVID-19 testing does not negatively affect immigration status: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) published a notice regarding non-citizen testing Read more about COVID-19: Resources for Immigrants[…]
COVID-19: MCPS Meals Information
Emergency Meals Service for Montgomery County Public Schools Students in District 20 (Silver Spring, Takoma Park and White Oak) All children may come to any of these locations to receive nutritious meals regardless of grade. No appointment is necessary. Meals will be provided in a Grab-and-Go format. Meals will be available during the week from Read more about COVID-19: MCPS Meals Information[…]
COVID-19: Food Assistance Options
Meals on Wheels: Low Cost meals are delivered to those who struggle with mobility or otherwise have difficulty going to the grocery store. Takoma Park (20910 and 20912) For more information, click here. 301-434-1922 Colesville (20901, 20903, and 20904) For more information, click here. 301-384-7440 Manna Food Center: Manna Food Center is an outstanding organization Read more about COVID-19: Food Assistance Options[…]
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Source: https://willsmithformaryland.com/
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