Politics Meets La Lumiere

By SAFIYA WEBSTER '19

Mike Bohacek, an Indiana state senator who has been involved in politics for about 13 years, visited La Lumiere School for a journalism class “press conference.” The upperclassmen prepared ten questions to ask the Senator, all on different topics. Senator Bohacek started with an introduction, where he mentioned that he only ran for a position in the Board of Commissioners after being told by his neighbor, a commissioner at the time, that it was unlawful for Bohacek to build a shed in his backyard. Bohacek and his friends decided to challenge the commissioner by running a political campaign against him. Bohacek won and acquired the title of County Commissioner in 2007, along with the two others.

The students showered the Senator with questions ranging from details about his personal life, to his opinions on drugs and political affiliations. George Eisenhauer asked him what his favorite amendment was, leaving Bohacek in thought for a significant period of time. Bohacek replied, the 23rd amendment because it repealed Prohibition, but Eisenhauer corrected him saying that he was thinking of the 21st amendment. Surprised, he decided to choose the first amendment because it gives people freedom of speech.

Bohacek mentioned that becoming Senator forced him to budget his time, as he also owns his own trucking business, but it also gives him the “opportunity to meet people from all over the entire state.” He answered Safiya Webster’s question, “What is the most rewarding part of yourjob?” by replying that getting bills passed that help people, like one that legalized the use of a treatment with 0.3% THC for children with multiple seizures a day, was very rewarding to him.

Senator Bohacek said that he listens to the opinions of La Porte citizens by sending out a questionnaire to thirty-thousand households in the eighth district. He also addressed how it's difficult to get anything done working in the House of Representatives, which is why he wouldn't plan on running for a higher position. Lastly, he concluded by advising students to get started early if they're interested in politics and want to respond to some current problems in the county.