Lori Gramlich

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Lori Gramlich

| office = Member of the Maine House of Representatives

| term_start = December 7, 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Sherman Hutchins

| successor =

| constituency = 131st district

| termstart1 = December 5, 2018

| termend1 = December 7, 2022

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 = James Worth

| constituency1= 131st district

| party = Democratic

| education = Alfred University (B.A.) University of New England (MSW)

| spouse = Bob Kelly

| children = 1

}}

Lori Kathryn Gramlich is an American politician and social worker. She is serving in the Maine House of Representatives from the 131st district, as well as a faculty position at the University of Southern Maine. Gramlich was sexually abused as a child, and has proposed laws dealing with abuse, gender and environmental issues.

Biography

Gramlich has lived in Maine for 35 years.{{Cite web|title=Representative Lori Gramlich|url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/housedems/gramlichl/index.html|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Maine Legislature|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827100931/https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/housedems/gramlichl/index.html|url-status=live}} She is married to Bob Kelly, and they have one child.{{Cite web|title=Lori K. Gramlich|url=https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/Details/1342|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Maine Legislature|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827160726/https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/Details/1342}} Gramlich is also currently serving as a field coordinator and professor at the University of Southern Maine.

In 2018, Gramlich ran for the Maine House of Representatives, beating former Representative Sharri MacDonald in the general election. She assumed office on December 5, 2018. She ran for re-election in 2020, beating MacDonald by a narrower margin than in 2018.

Political positions

=Crime=

Gramlich, herself a sexual abuse survivor, introduced legislation that made it easier for people who were victims of sexual abuse as children to file civil lawsuits against their abusers.{{Cite news|date=June 24, 2021|title=Maine lifts barrier to bringing child sex abuse suits|work=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/me-state-wire-maine-2c5bfadeb3f7c7fc7b305c4ac8fc09d3|access-date=August 27, 2021|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827085243/https://apnews.com/article/me-state-wire-maine-2c5bfadeb3f7c7fc7b305c4ac8fc09d3|url-status=live}} While Maine had already eliminated the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits brought by these survivors in 2000, the bill did not apply retroactively, making it more difficult for people who were victims as children to bring a case. The bill introduced by Gramlich applied retroactively.

=Environment=

In 2021, Gramlich introduced a bill that would ban single-use plastic water bottles, with the exception of plastic bottles containing flavored or carbonated drinks. The bill would also not apply during public health or safety emergencies declared by the Governor of Maine. WMTW reported that Gramlich commented "We know there is a lot of plastic waste in our ocean, and this is a step in the direction to begin to hopefully decrease some of that".{{Cite web|date=March 22, 2021|title=Maine lawmakers consider bill that would ban sale of plastic water bottles|url=https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-lawmakers-consider-bill-that-would-ban-sale-of-plastic-water-bottles/35901036|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=WMTW|language=en|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827094950/https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-lawmakers-consider-bill-that-would-ban-sale-of-plastic-water-bottles/35901036|url-status=live}} The bill faced significant opposition from the foodservice industry, as well as grocery stores, truckers, and bottled water producers. They cited the financial burden the ban would have on their businesses.

Gramlich also introduced a bill that banned the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as "PFAS" or "forever chemicals", the latter attributed to the long life of the plastic.{{Cite web|date=July 18, 2021|title=Maine Becomes First U.S. State to Ban 'Forever Chemicals' in Products|url=https://www.ecowatch.com/maine-forever-chemicals-2653823872.html|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=EcoWatch|language=en|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827162818/https://www.ecowatch.com/maine-forever-chemicals-2653823872.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=July 17, 2021|title=Maine outlaws PFAS in products with pioneering law|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/maine-outlaws-pfas-products-with-pioneering-law-2021-07-16/|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Reuters|language=en|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827162816/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/maine-outlaws-pfas-products-with-pioneering-law-2021-07-16/|url-status=live}} The ban will take place in 2030, and starting in 2023, any manufacturer in Maine planning to use PFAS has to disclose their use and rationale.

=Queer people=

In 2019, Gramlich co-sponsored a bill that banned all forms of conversion therapy for queer people in Maine. When an amendment on the bill was proposed to only ban "aversive" methods of treatment, Gramlich spoke out against the amendment, calling all forms of conversion therapy "abusive, unethical and oppressive".{{Cite web|last=Acquisto|first=Alex|date=May 8, 2019|title=Maine House strongly backs ban on conversion therapy|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2019/05/08/news/maine-house-strongly-backs-ban-on-conversion-therapy/|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827162824/https://bangordailynews.com/2019/05/08/news/maine-house-strongly-backs-ban-on-conversion-therapy/|url-status=live}}

Electoral history

=2020=

{{Election box open primary begin no change

| title = 2020 Maine House of Representatives election, District 131{{Cite web|title=Tabulations for Elections held in 2020|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results20.html#novtab|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126152819/https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results20.html#novtab}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Lori Gramlich

|votes = 1,262

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 1,262

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Lori Gramlich

|votes = 3,383

|percentage = 55.4%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Sharri MacDonald

|votes = 2,721

|percentage = 44.6%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 6,104

| percentage = 100.0

}}

=2018=

{{Election box open primary begin no change

| title = 2018 Maine House of Representatives election, District 131{{Cite web|title=Tabulations for Elections held in 2018|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results18.html#novtab|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Government of Maine|archive-date=August 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820182950/https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results18.html#novtab}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Lori Gramlich

|votes = 714

|percentage = 70.3%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Jay Kelley

|votes = 302

|percentage = 29.7%