Brooke Lierman

Brooke Lierman is an American politician who serves in the Maryland Legislature and represents District 46 in Baltimore City.

Early life and career

Lierman was born in Washington, DC, February 14, 1979. Lierman attended the Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, Maryland. In 2001, she graduated from Dartmouth College with an A.B. in history. She later attended the University of Texas School of Law where she earned a J.D. in 2008. Between college and law schools, Lierman was an AmeriCorps VISTA member at The DREAM Program in Vermont, working with children living in public housing developments. She worked on the 2002 campaign of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, and on the presidential campaign of Howard Dean. Immediately prior to going to law school, Lierman worked at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. Today, in addition to serving as a State Delegate, Lierman works at the Baltimore civil rights firm of Brown, Goldstein, & Levy LLP, where she handles a variety of civil right and disability rights cases. She is on the board of the Baltimore Museum of Art and Advocates for Children and Youth. She is a past board member of CPHA and the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. ^[1]

Political career

Prior to law school, Brooke served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at The DREAM Program in Burlington, Vermont, and worked as Special Assistant at the Center for American Progress. She also worked on several national campaigns, including for Sen. Paul Wellstone, Howard Dean, and John Kerry.

During law school, Lierman was President of the American Constitution Society and worked as a policy advisor to Texas State Senator, Rodney Ellis. ^[2]

In the legislature

Lierman was sworn in as a member of the House of Delegates in January, 2015 and assigned to the Appropriations committee. In her first term as a State Delegate from Baltimore City, Lierman won a reputation as an effective advocate and skilled legislator who works tirelessly on behalf of her constituents and on a variety of issues, including education, transit, environmental, and social justice concerns. In 2017, Lierman was named both Legislator of the Year by Maryland Hunger Solutions for her work on hunger issues, and a Green Legislative Champion by the Maryland League of Conservation Workers (the only legislator from Baltimore City to receive the distinction). In her role on the House Appropriations Committee, Lierman has oversight in managing Maryland’s $42 bn+ budget, including prioritizing funds for education, services for people with disabilities, and public transit, and also holding state agencies accountable for fiscal responsibility and program performance. Lierman has oversight of the environmental and transportation agencies, and has pressed those agencies, as well as the Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation, on enforcement of laws. Lierman also serves on the Joint Committee on Pension Oversight and the Joint Committee on Ending Homelessness, as well as the Baltimore Regional Revitalization Workgroup.

In addition to serving on the Appropriations Committee, Lierman has carried and passed a wide array of important statewide initiatives. Some of those initiatives include:

Public Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2018

Prohibition on Sexual Activity

The Jill Wrigley Memorial Scholarship Expansion Act

Suspensions and Expulsions

Maryland Transit Administration - Farebox Recovery Rate - Repeal

Labor and Employment - Flexible Leave - Use of Leave for Family Illness

Maryland Transit Administration Oversight and Planning Board

Community Cleanup and Greening Act of 2016

Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Products - Prohibition

Personal

Outside of the legislative session, Lierman maintains an active presence in her neighborhoods - visiting schools, meeting with business leaders, and acting as a convener and networker for communities and organizations.

Lierman is married to Eben Hansel. They have a son, Teddy, who was born in 2012, and a daughter, Elizabeth, who was born in 2017. ^[3]

References

External links

• Media related to Brooke Lierman at Wikimedia Commons