Maryland House of Delegates District 45

A: Maryland has to deal with its budget problems in a way that does not leave Baltimore City families behind. That means protecting public education, supporting seniors on fixed incomes, and finding ways to ease the pressure on homeowners dealing with high costs and property taxes. We should cut waste first, make government more efficient, and make sure the state is collecting the money it is already owed before putting more of the burden on everyday people.

A: The three biggest issues facing Maryland are affordability, public education, and protecting seniors and working families from rising costs. People are worried about the basics — housing, property taxes, groceries, and utility bills — and in Baltimore City that pressure is very real. We also have to keep investing in public education, because strong schools are key to stronger neighborhoods and better opportunities for our children. And as Maryland faces budget challenges in the years ahead, we have to be responsible without making seniors, homeowners, and everyday families pay the price.

A: [No response provided]

A: I do not support raising taxes to fund the blueprint. With Baltimore City bringing in a new school CEO for the first time in 10 years, I believe we should give that leader time to fully assess the needs of City Schools and the blueprint before making major new funding recommendations. We should stay committed to strong schools, but we also have to be responsible about affordability and implementation.

A: I believe constituents should review my job performance by looking at my record, my responsiveness, and my results. Have I been present in the community? Have I helped address real concerns? Have the policies I supported improved people’s daily lives? For me, every constituent issue matters, and I believe public service should be measured by consistency, accountability, and impact.

A: This is an issue that keeps Stephanie up at night, and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, she’s deeply aware that we can’t simply cut our way out of this problem. We need to retain dynamic small businesses and attract new businesses. We must identify where the federal government has reduced investment and commit state resources to growing our technology/life sciences sectors. Upskilling and non-degree certifications will be necessary to keep workers viable for an evolving economy being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Three things Stephanie will prioritize are: 1) identifying cost savings through re-imagining the delivery of education reforms, 2) right-sizing our income tax burdens for a separate bracket for households over $5 million, and 3) closing corporate tax loopholes.

A: Growing our economy is the single biggest issue in our state. Inclusive economic growth will improve quality of life and increase affordability. We have been stagnant in growing small business and must be more creative in the wake of federal disinvestment. Maintaining and building upon our public safety gains are also vital. Everyone should feel safe in their home and community. Historic reductions in homicide rates are important but we also need to ensure aggressive declines in assaults and robberies. Lastly, the Baltimore region needs a safe and reliable transit system. The Baltimore region invests in Maryland’s support of the Washington Metro System but does not receive its fair share of transportation funding. Baltimore has the most transit-dependent population in the state and deserves a world-class system. Stephanie will continue to advocate for strong economic growth and affordability, public safety, and Baltimore-area transit investments.

A: Increasing housing production will lower rents/sales prices. Stephanie supports efforts to streamline the development of more affordable and high-quality housing.

Prescription drug costs continue to soar, that’s why Stephanie will continue to support upper payment limits on prescription drugs as outlined by Maryland’s Prescription Affordability Commission. Childcare costs continue to outpace college tuition costs. Maryland has taken important steps to unfreeze the list of families applying for childcare tuition scholarships and increasing the pipeline of childcare providers. Stephanie will continue to monitor how we best support the workforce behind the workforce to ensure all working families have access to safe and affordable childcare.

A: We need to pause growth of the state’s community school program to ensure we are targeting our education reform investments to the schools with the highest concentrations of poverty. Stephanie believes we need a surgical resetting of education investments and new revenue to support the goals of the blueprint. We will invariably spend more money retraining workers without the skills our economy needs, incarcerating people without the skills needed to be law-abiding residents, or providing quality of life subsidies for chronically under/unemployed neighbors. We must not make short-term cost savings that explode other obligations in the near future because we were not prudent.

A: Stephanie is available in-person, via email, on social media, and by web stream to communicate with constituents and community groups. Stephanie is only able to serve as an informed leader because of the expertise and input of her constituents. She welcomes invitations to update neighbors and maintains a regular e-newsletter. Stephanie can always be reached at stephanie.smith@house.maryland.gov.

A: Affordability is the most urgent problem. Rent, utilities, child care, transportation, healthcare, and basic goods are squeezing families that are already working hard. In my firstdays of the next term, I would focus on relief that residents can actually feel: stronger tenant protections and legal support, utility-bill relief, child care and early-learning access,responsible local revenue tools, and workforce programs that connect people to family-sustaining jobs. My record already points in that direction. I have backed tenant counsel and housing stability, supported apprenticeship and workforce pathways, and serve on the Local Revenues Subcommittee where the state makes decisions that affect what cities cando for residents. I would also keep holding neighborhood meetings across District so residents tell us directly where government is failing and where state action can make thefastest difference.

A: My vision is a Maryland where working families can afford to stay, children can read, learn, and graduate prepared, neighborhoods are safer, and government works as hard forBaltimore as it does for every other part of the state. In office, I have focused on schools, family support, local authority, and safer neighborhoods through the House Ways andMeans Committee and my role chairing the Early Childhood and Special Education Subcommittee. For District 45, that means protecting early childhood and special education, supporting teachers and families, building real job pathways, investing in transit and housing stability, and giving Baltimore the authority to solve Baltimore problems. I will keep pushing for a state budget and economy that treat public education, public safety, health care, small business, and housing as everyday quality-of-life issues — because voters should be able to feel progress on their block, in their school, and in their household budget.

A: My approach starts with keeping people stable where they already live. That means rental assistance, tenant right to counsel, stronger code enforcement, habitability standards, andfaster action on vacant and abandoned properties. I have backed tenants’ counsel and housing stability because eviction, poor housing conditions, and displacement affecteverything else — a child’s school attendance, a worker’s job security, and a senior’s health. I also serve with a record of community and housing engagement, including servicewith the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership, and I support development that adds affordable and workforce housing without pushing out longtime residents. District 45 and Maryland needs tools that match our neighborhoods: community-driven redevelopment, transit-oriented housing, support for homeowners and renters, and accountability when city or state systems fail residents. Housing policy should be simple in purpose: help people stay rooted, make homes safe and affordable, and create pathways for families to build wealth in the communities they helped build.

A: Improving reading and math requires starting early, supporting educators, and making sure students with the greatest needs are not treated as an afterthought. As a former BaltimoreCity Public Schools mathematics teacher and now Chair of the Early Childhood and Special Education Subcommittee, I would continue protecting Blueprint implementation, expanding early literacy, supporting high-dosage tutoring, strengthening attendance and mental-health supports, and recruiting and retaining excellent teachers. I have supported efforts that put resources closer to classrooms and families, including teacher classroom-supply relief, child care scholarship protections, STEM and robotics opportunities, and school policies that connect civic engagement and student development. Voters should judge education policy by whether families can see results: more children reading on grade level, stronger math instruction, safer and more supportive school climates, and special education services delivered on time and with dignity. Baltimore students do not needslogans; they need sustained investment, accountability, and people in Annapolis who understand both the classroom and the community.

A: Effective representation means showing up before there is a crisis, listening after the election is over, and turning community concerns into action in Annapolis. I try to practicethat by holding town halls and issue sessions, visiting schools, meeting with community school coordinators, supporting giveaways and direct service for families and seniors, andkeeping constituent service connected to policy work. In the legislature, that means using my roles on Ways and Means, Early Childhood and Special Education, and Local Revenuesto fight for safer neighborhoods, stronger schools, stable housing, fair revenue, and local authority for Baltimore. Representation is not just a vote on the floor; it is helping a residentnavigate a service issue, helping a parent understand school resources, making state government more accessible, and being honest with voters about what has been done andwhat still needs work. District 45 deserves a delegate who is present, prepared, and accountable year-round. That is the standard I will keep working to meet.