Martin Grohman

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 12
Age: 48
Occupation: Manager at a roofing company
Education: Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering
Family: Married, two children
Hometown: Biddeford

Political experience

I was ranked the most bipartisan legislator in the 127th Legislature. You can see the results of bipartisanship in my amendment to release the Land for Maine’s Future bonds passing 145-0 with every Republican voting for it. That vote had direct local impact – it allowed our Riverwalk to proceed. I also have a wide and unusual combination of endorsements that include the Maine League of Conservation Voters, Maine Education Association, Maine State Employees Association, Sierra Club, as well as the Maine Credit Union League, and the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine. I am also Chair of the Biddeford Solid Waste Commission, which handles the City’s recycling programs.

Why are you running for office?

I was elected in 2014 and currently serve as State Representative for House District 12. My wife Amy and I have two children and live near Ray’s Market and St. Joseph’s Cemetery. In 1999, I co-founded a manufacturing business which created dozens of new jobs and is still located in the Biddeford Industrial Park. Growing up as the youngest of eight, on a dairy farm in Carthage, Maine, I understand what it means to do the chores.
The Green Street fire occurred right after I was elected. It was meaningful to raise emergency housing funds for my neighbors. When a veteran needed help accessing his VA benefits, I connected him to the right network. When our schools needed new flags, I jumped to help. Throughout my first term I have worked with people on everything from reducing delays in the professional licensing process to problems with health care benefits. The job of state rep is complex. I will bring the benefit of my experience to a new term. I am also well positioned for a committee chairmanship, which will bring additional visibility and give me additional leverage on behalf of our city. I am proud of the positive impact I’ve had on Biddeford, and I would like to continue that work.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Other

    I think that the shift away from income to sales taxes has worked, and the state budget is doing well. However, I do not support policies such as reducing revenue sharing for education that cause a greater local property tax burden.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Other

    I can see both sides of this issue. Maine has a proud tradition of safe gun ownership and I am part of that tradition. However, it is a fact that some private gun sales can lead to unsafe situations (although theft is a much more likely cause). Regardless of your position on this issue please keep your guns in a safe, keep them away from children, get proper training from one of our many excellent firearms instructors, and get a trigger lock – they’re available free from the Biddeford Police Department.

• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • Other

    I voted to increase the minimum wage five times in the 127th legislature. I think it is unfortunate that none of those bills passed. We definitely need to increase the minimum wage. However the extent, and speed by which this referendum does it is likely to cause problems for some employers, particularly in rural Maine.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Other

    Some of the resulting new revenue would be directed to education, which would be a good outcome. However, existing medical providers’ business might be threatened.

• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • We have to solve the epidemic of substance misuse disorder in our state. We’ve tried to arrest our way out of the problem and that has not worked. Along with Attorney General Janet Mills, I have been involved in discussions about those trapped in the cycle of addiction. I’ve toured suboxone clinics, met with sober house therapy groups, and spoken to members of the criminal justice system. I supported legislation, now in effect, that imposed prescription limits and required all prescriptions to be entered into a central database to prevent ‘doctor shopping’. I voted to allow pharmacists to dispense Narcan without a prescription, and I helped push through new funding from the Legislature that is now providing a grant being used by the Biddeford & Saco Police Departments to help address this issue in our communities. I think that increased access to health care, including full federal Medicaid adoption which would allow us to expand MaineCare, is the key to future progress. There is no one size fits all option for recovery.

Comments are not available on this story.

Related Stories