Andy Smith | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 25B district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Liz Boldon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 24, 1991 |
| Political party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Spouse | Anna |
| Residence | Rochester, Minnesota |
| Education | Moody Bible Institute (BA) Westminster Seminary California (MDiv) |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Andrew Smith (born May 24, 1991) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Smith represents District 25B in southeastern Minnesota, which includes downtown Rochester in Olmsted County.[1][2]
Early life, education and career
Smith attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, earning a bachelor's degree in theology. He then attended Westminster Seminary California for his Master of divinity.[1]
In 2019, Smith opened Gray Duck Theater in Rochester, a microcinema that showed independent and retro films.[3] The theater permanently closed in February 2023 due to challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, with Smith filing for bankruptcy in April 2023.[4][5] He and his wife also own a pair of bookstores in Rochester.[3]
Minnesota House of Representatives
Smith was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2022. He first ran after legislative redistricting and after one-term DFL incumbent Liz Boldon announced she would run for a seat in the Minnesota Senate.[1][6]
Smith serves on the Economic Development Finance and Policy, Health Finance and Policy, Sustainable Infrastructure Policy, and Taxes Committees.[1]
Political positions
In January 2023, after a hearing on a bill codifying the right to an abortion , activists from the group Minnesota Right to Life targeted Smith and fellow representative Tina Liebling, following them from the committee room while filming and shouting at them.[7] Smith, who was raised in a conservative Christian home, said he used to oppose abortion but now believes "women and those who are pregnant should have control over their own body and their medical decisions".[7]
Smith has criticized the war on drugs and the crackdown on marijuana and psilocybin.[8] He authored a bipartisan proposal in 2023 that formed a Psychedelic Medicine Task Force to advise the legislature on the legal, medical, and policy issues associated with legalizing psychedelic medicine in the state.[8] The bill passed as part of the 2023 health budget and Smith was appointed to serve on the task force.[9][10]
Smith spoke in favor of the DFL's paid family and medical leave proposal, saying, "we are lagging behind the rest of the world".[11] He supported legislation banning the discredited practice of conversion therapy on minors and vulnerable adults, responding to questions about religious liberty by saying, "this freedom [of religious expression] is not a freedom to harm".[12] In 2020, Smith said he supported citywide masking mandates in Rochester to help contain the spread of COVID-19.[13]
Smith has advocated for a more equitable tax policy to avoid forcing "local people to make those decisions that they sent us here to make".[14] He co-sponsored legislation to repeal a gag order on studying high-speed rail options between the Twin Cities and Rochester, saying passenger rail for southern Minnesota is "long overdue".[15]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Andrew Smith | 10,040 | 64.04 | |
| Republican | John Joseph Robinson | 5,634 | 35.94 | |
| Write-in | 3 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 15,677 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Personal life
Smith lives in Rochester, Minnesota, with his wife, Anna.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Smith, Andrew "Andy" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
- ↑ "Rep. Andy Smith (25B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
- 1 2 McKinney, Matt (August 6, 2022). "Minnesota couple raise the curtain on 66-seat microtheater in Rochester". Star Tribune.
- ↑ "Gray Duck Theater and Coffeehouse closes its doors". KIMT News 3. 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
- ↑ "Rep. Andy Smith files for bankruptcy protection after closure of Gray Duck Theater". Rochester Post Bulletin. 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ↑ Mewes, Trey (November 9, 2022). "In Rochester, incumbents keep power in local elections after partisan campaigns". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- 1 2 Winter, Deena (2023-01-27). "Right to Life targets lawmakers — literally — with gonzo journalist tactics". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- 1 2 Bierschbach, Briana (March 25, 2023). "Minnesota legislators push task force to explore legalizing psychedelic medicine". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Bierschbach, Briana (July 26, 2023). "This veteran used psychedelics to treat his PTSD. Now he wants Minnesota to legalize it as medicine". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Coolican, J. Patrick (2023-06-26). "The Easter eggs: The good stuff the Legislature passed you may not have heard about". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Ferguson, Dana (2023-05-02). "Minnesota House passes paid family leave program". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Deng, Grace (February 21, 2023). "Minnesota House passes bill to ban 'conversion therapy' for minors". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Richert, Catharine (2020-06-29). "In Rochester, a debate over mandatory masks in Med City". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Stokes, Kyle (2023-06-07). "Which Minnesota cities, counties got the OK to put sales tax hikes to voters". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ Moore, Janet (February 10, 2023). "Lawmakers seek to lift gag order on commuter rail between Minneapolis, Northfield". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ↑ "2022 Results for State Representative District 25B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.