Michael D. Smigiel Sr.

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Michael D. Smigiel Sr.

| image = Michael D. Smigiel, Sr. (2007).jpg

| caption =

| state_delegate = Maryland

| district = 36th

| term_start = January 8, 2003

| term_end = January 14, 2015

| deputy =

| predecessor = James G. Crouse

| successor = Jefferson L. Ghrist

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1958|06|18}}

| birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|8|28|1958|6|18}}

| death_place =

| constituency = Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland

| party = Republican

| spouse =

| profession = Attorney

| religion =

| signature =

| footnotes =

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| term_start2 =

| term_end2 =

| president =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| order3 =

| term_start3 =

| term_end3 =

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}}

Michael D. Smigiel Sr. (June 18, 1958 – August 28, 2022) was an American politician who was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, where he represented District 36, which covers Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties. He was first elected in 2002 along with fellow Republicans Richard Sossi and Mary Roe Walkup after the legislative boundaries were redrawn.{{Cite web |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2002/results/g_house_of_delegate.html |title=2002 Gubernatorial Election |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland Board of Elections |access-date=September 26, 2022 |date=December 2, 2002}} Prior to 2002, District 36 had a separate representative for Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties. After combining the districts, Smigiel won the seat previously occupied by former Elkton Mayor, James Crouse. Crouse was appointed to the seat in July 2001 following Governor Parris Glendenning's appointment of longtime Elkton Delegate Ronald A. Guns to the Public Service Commission.{{Cite web |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/1998/results_1998/gahod.html |title=1998 Gubernatorial Election |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland Board of Elections |access-date=September 26, 2022 |date=October 24, 2000}}{{cite web |title=Maryland House of Delegates, Appointments by Governor to |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/hseapp.html |website=Maryland Manual On-Line |publisher=Maryland State Archives |access-date=September 26, 2022 |date=March 14, 2022}}

In 2006, he defeated Democratic challenger Mark Guns for reelection. In the 2006 election, the voting method returned to voting for a representative for each county.{{Cite web |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2006/results/general/office_House_of_Delegates.html |title=Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland Board of Elections |access-date=September 26, 2022}}

Education

Smigiel attended Elgin Community College in Elgin, Illinois. There he received his A.A. degree in psychology and history in 1982. After community college, he went to undergraduate school at Northern Illinois University, where he got his B.A. in political science in 1985. In 1989, he received his J.D. from Northern Illinois University College of Law. Michael served as president of his law school class.

Career

After high school, Smigiel served in the United States Marine Corps from 1975 until 1979. After college, Smigiel was admitted to Maryland Bar in 1989 and worked thereafter as an attorney. He was also a member of the Cecil County Bar Association, where he served as chair of the ethics committee and as a member of the board of directors. He also belonged to the Maryland Association of Justice.

Smigiel was also the founder of Mediation, Inc., and alternative dispute resolution center. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Bainbridge Naval Training Center Historical Association, Inc.

=In the legislature=

In the Maryland General Assembly, Smigiel held the position of Minority Parliamentarian and was on the Judiciary Committee where he was a member of the criminal justice subcommittee and was active on several work-groups. He was previously a Deputy Minority Whip from 2003 to 2006 and a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee.{{Cite web |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/former/html/msa14002.html |title=Michael D. Smigiel, Sr., Maryland State Delegate |website=Maryland Manual On-Line |publisher=Maryland State Archives |access-date=September 26, 2022 |date=March 11, 2022}} Smigiel served as Vice Chair of the Juvenile subcommittee, and was the Vice Chair of the Eastern Shore Delegation representing the nine counties of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In addition, Smigiel was the founder and chairperson of the Maryland House of Delegates Tea Party Caucus.

==Legislative notes==

in 2014 Co-Sponsored legislation to cut off the National Security Agency's water and electricity if the agency continued to collect electronic data without specific warrants.{{cite web |title=House Bill 1074 Fourth Amendment Protection Act |url=http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2014RS/bills/hb/hb1074F.pdf |website=mgaleg.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland General Assembly |access-date=November 1, 2019 |date=February 6, 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Alex |title=Kipke, other delegates withdraw support of proposal to cut off NSA utilities |url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/cg2-arc-140213cn-nsa-20140212-story.html |access-date=November 1, 2019 |work=The Capital |date=February 12, 2014}}
in 2013 Co-Sponsored legislation to require a 2/3rds vote in the General Assembly to raise taxes{{cite web |title=House Bill 363 Constitutional Amendment |url=http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/hb/hb0363F.pdf |website=mgaleg.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland General Assembly |access-date=September 26, 2022}}
in 2013 Sponsored a bill to repeal the use of speed cameras{{Cite web |url=http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&tab=subject3&id=hb0251&stab=01&ys=2013RS |title=GAM-HB0251 Summary 2013 Regular Session |website=mgaleg.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland General Assembly}}
in 2013 Co-Sponsored legislation to impose larger penalties on local governments found to have violated Maryland's open meeting law{{cite web |title=House Bill 331 |url=http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/hb/hb0331T.pdf |website=mgaleg.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland General Assembly |access-date=September 26, 2022}}
in 2012 Co-sponsored bill to require health insurance carriers to provide coverage of Telemedicine services{{cite web |title=House Bill 1149 |url=http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2012rs/bills/hb/hb1149t.pdf |website=mgaleg.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland General Assembly |access-date=September 26, 2022}}
in 2011 Proposed an amendment to the state constitution to make appropriations subject to petition for a referendum, which are currently exempt under Maryland law{{Cite web |url=http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?ys=2011rs/billfile/hb0010.htm |title=BILL INFO-2011 Regular Session-HB 10 |website=mgaleg.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland General Assembly}}
in 2010 Co Sponsored a 'Taxpayers Bill of Rights' constitutional amendment which would have required certain new taxes be placed to a popular vote, limited increases in the state budget to the amount of inflation plus annual population increase{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
voted against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6){{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm |title=2007 Regular Session - Vote Record 0690 |website=Maryland Legislative Information System |publisher=Maryland Department of Legislative Services |access-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124123910/http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm |archive-date=January 24, 2008}}
voted against the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359){{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm |title=BILL INFO-2007 Regular Session-HB 359 |website=Maryland Legislative Information System |publisher=Maryland Department of Legislative Services |access-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220151726/http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm |archive-date=February 20, 2007}}
voted for slots in 2005 (HB1361){{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm |title=2005 Regular Session - Vote Record 0152 |website=Maryland Legislative Information System |publisher=Maryland Department of Legislative Services |access-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050425161053/http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm |archive-date=April 25, 2005}}

Task Force, Boards and Commissions

In 2012, Smigiel was appointed by Maryland legislative leaders to a task force to study the impact of a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling regarding the liability of owners of pit bulls and landlords that rent to them.{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Dresser |title=Pitbull Panel Looks to One Standard for All Breeds |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=June 19, 2012 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-xpm-2012-06-19-bal-pit-bull-panel-looks-to-one-standard-for-all-breeds-20120619-story.html |access-date=June 19, 2012 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121220436/https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-xpm-2012-06-19-bal-pit-bull-panel-looks-to-one-standard-for-all-breeds-20120619-story.html |archive-date=January 21, 2021}}

Congressional Run

In 2016, Smigiel sought the Republican nomination for {{ushr|MD|1}}, challenging incumbent Andy Harris in the party primary. Smiegel claimed that he felt "betrayed" by Harris and other Republicans, and attacked the incumbent from a conservative position on education, state powers, free markets, and taxation.{{Cite news |url=https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/2016/04/25/andy-harris-not-worried-gop-challenges-primary/83390400/ |title=Andy Harris not worried about GOP challenges in primary |first=Liz |last=Holland |newspaper=The Daily Times |location=Salisbury, Maryland |date=April 25, 2016 |access-date=September 26, 2022}} He was overwhelmingly defeated by Harris.{{cite news |title=MD-GOP-House-Contested |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/md-gop-house-contested/2016/04/26/c7c1f022-0c10-11e6-bc53-db634ca94a2a_story.html |access-date=September 26, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |agency=Associated Press |date=April 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428093550/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/md-gop-house-contested/2016/04/26/c7c1f022-0c10-11e6-bc53-db634ca94a2a_story.html |archive-date=April 28, 2016}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/rep-harris-wins-republican-nomination/article_a38ade51-b850-5eb9-a425-554d5863e2b8.html |title=Rep. Harris wins Republican nomination |first=Josh |last=Bollinger |website=Cecil Whig |date=April 27, 2016 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101202607/https://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/rep-harris-wins-republican-nomination/article_a38ade51-b850-5eb9-a425-554d5863e2b8.html |archive-date=November 1, 2019}}

Death

Smigiel died at the age of 64 from a heart disease on August 28, 2022.{{cite news |last1=Lash |first1=Steve |title=Ex-Del. Mike Smigiel, whose affection crossed party lines, dies at 64 |url=https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/08/30/ex-del-mike-smigiel-whose-affection-crossed-party-lines-dies-at-64/ |access-date=August 30, 2022 |work=The Daily Record |date=August 30, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830192411/https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/08/30/ex-del-mike-smigiel-whose-affection-crossed-party-lines-dies-at-64/ |archive-date=August 30, 2022}}

Election results

2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 36 Cecil County{{cite web |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2006/results/general/office_House_of_Delegates.html |title=House of Delegates Results |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |access-date=September 30, 2007}}

::Voters to choose one per county:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Michael D. Smigiel Sr., Rep.

|17,764

| 53.4%

| Won

|Mark Guns, Dem.

|15,475

| 46.6%

| Lost

2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 36

::Voters to choose three:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Richard Sossi, Rep.

|19,098

| 19.0%

| Won

|Michael D. Smigiel Sr., Rep.

|19,216

| 19.1%

| Won

|Mary Roe Walkup, Rep.

|28,230

| 28.0%

| Won

|Wheeler R. Baker, Dem.

|17,575

| 17.5%

| Lost

|James G. Crouse, Dem.

|16,329

| 16.2%

| Lost

Other Write-Ins

|277

| 0.3%

References and notes

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20200605165220/http://delegatemike.com/ Delegate Mike Smigiel | The Official Blog of Delegate Mike Smigiel, the 36th District] (archived)

Category:1958 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Politicians from Harford County, Maryland

Category:Republican Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates

Category:Politicians from Baltimore

Category:Northern Illinois University alumni

Category:Lawyers from Baltimore

Category:Military personnel from Baltimore

Category:21st-century members of the Maryland General Assembly