INDIANAPOLIS — A former longtime Indiana senator says he recently spoke with State Sen. Michael Bohacek who was arrested back in January on OWI charges.
Jim Merritt, who spent 30 years in the state senate with the last 16 of those served as caucus chair, said Bohacek called him a few days ago to talk about what happened and to apologize. He told the "Kendall and Casey Show" on WIBC that Bohacek is taking the matter seriously.
"I sent him a text, he reached out and called me and said he was embarrassed," Merritt said Wednesday. "He understands it's very serious, unlike a lot of people in the statehouse who have these situations and he apologized to his caucus."
It's still unclear when Bohacek apologized to the caucus, but Merritt said it happened "shortly after" Bohacek was arrested.
Bohacek, a Republican, was arrested when he was pulled over for speeding in his 2023 Dodge Charger in Michigan City on January 24 and then formally charged on May 15. According to arrest documents, Bohacek had poor balance when he got out of the car in a Panda Express parking lot. He consented to a blood alcohol check and registered a .283. The legal limit is .08.
Merritt said this is a serious charge in general, but even more so that it's an elected official who's facing the charges.
"I voted for it, it used to be .1, now it's .08 and I supported that, I was on the bill and to me this is a very serious charge," said Merritt.
While Merritt detailed more of the conversation he had with Bohacek, he said the senator from Michiana Shores
"He believes that he did not try to get out of it and he believes that the system is going to render him in a punitive way," Merritt added.
Merritt claims he did not know about Bohacek's arrest until the story was broken in late May by the "Kendall and Casey Show." Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith also told the show that he did not know about the charges facing Sen. Bohacek until May.
Under state law, members of the General Assembly are exempt from arrest during a legislative session in nearly all cases.
There has not been a formal apology or press release put out by Bohacek or his office to the public about the charges.
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STATEWIDE — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has raised concerns about the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies at Butler and DePauw universities.
Letters were sent by Rokita to the universities on May 28, stating that the schools may be violating their nonprofit tax-exempt status and be in violation of federal and state civil rights laws. He has requested information on admissions and hiring practices, as well as what guidance faculty and admissions staff are given regarding DEI policy.
Butler and DePauw both have DEI listed as one of their priorities within their strategic plans.
Rokita is asking for compliance from the universities with nonprofit standards and Indiana's commitment to racial equality. He will determine based on their response if any further action is needed to be taken against the schools. The universities have until June 27 to get back to him.
Both universities have since released statements:
"Butler University is in receipt of a communication from the Office of the Attorney General and is currently reviewing the requests. The University takes seriously its commitment to compliance with all state and federal laws and will respond to the Office of the Attorney General within due time."
"DePauw University, rooted in our Methodist tradition, has been dedicated to shaping the leaders the world needs since our founding in 1837. Guided by our institutional values of integrity and our commitment to excellence, we uphold high ethical standards and do not engage in unlawful discrimination in our admissions and hiring practices. We recruit and retain talented students, faculty, and staff who enrich our small and caring campus community and, in turn, are enriched by it, carrying forward DePauw’s tradition of supporting and creating positive changes in Indiana and throughout the world."
Recently, Purdue University announced they would end all DEI activities and initiatives on their campus effective immediately. Indiana University also closed their office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion last month.