Chapter 7 – Lawmaking Process
7.15 Levin Graduates Lead: State Senator Kent Smith
State Senator Kent Smith (Democrat), a Levin School alum, represents Ohio’s 21st Senate District.
Smith graduated from Miami University in 1988 and earned a Master of Science in Urban Studies from CSU in 2001. His master’s thesis focused on the emerging threat of predatory lending and the subprime market. In 2002, he co-authored the first Predatory Lending Report for Policy Matters Ohio.
Before serving in the Ohio Senate, Senator Kent Smith served in the state house and on the Euclid school board. He served four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2015 to 2022, representing the 8th District. Prior to his tenure in the House, Smith was a dedicated member of the Euclid Board of Education from 2002 to 2013, during which he never missed a meeting.
Senator Smith has a strong record of legislative accomplishments. In 2023, he introduced Senate Bill 50 to enhance 9-1-1 laws and strengthen emergency telecommunicator training, ensuring more effective responses during emergencies.
An advocate for fairness in utility services, Smith has worked to protect Ohioans from unfair practices by utility companies. He introduced laws to prevent utilities from passing the cost of their political activities onto customers, ensuring bills reflect actual service costs. Additionally, he pushed for laws requiring utility companies to refund customers if they were overcharged and sponsored the Consumer Utility Billing Transparency Act to make bills clearer and easier for customers to understand. These efforts aim to hold utility companies accountable and give Ohio residents more control over their bills.
In addition to these efforts, Senator Smith has supported raising the state minimum wage and expanding protections for utility workers against harassment or threats.
Reference
