GREENFIELD — Political newcomer Poonam Gill is challenging Speaker of the House Brian Bosma for his seat representing Indiana House District 88, which includes precincts in Vernon and Buck Creek townships.
Here is more information of each candidate’s views, in their own words:
Why are you running for office?
Bosma: I desire to serve my community and continue a strong record of conservative, compassionate governance with the needs of every Hoosier in mind. Job creation, budget integrity, workforce training and continued opportunities for Hoosiers to succeed in the workplace and in their children’s education will continue to be my top priorities. Compassionate provision for the elderly, the disabled and others in the dawn, dusk and shadows of Hoosier life will also continue to be a top priority.
Gill: We need more people who are invested in our communities — who care about working together, listening to one another and creating solutions — to step up and lead. I’m a wife and mom of three young children and I care about moving Indiana forward. I will advocate for stronger schools, better job opportunities, a safer environment and improving quality of life. All Hoosiers should have an equal opportunity at success.
What are the biggest challenges facing your district?
Bosma: Efficiency and low cost of government, job creation opportunities for entrepreneurs, strong balanced state budgets, adequate road funding at the state and local level, job training for every Hoosier, especially the under employed, and excellent educational opportunities for every Hoosier student are the biggest challenges for all Hoosiers, including those residing in District 88.
Gill: We have knocked on nearly 10,000 doors in our district to hear from residents about the issues most important to them. The one issue that consistently comes up while talking to voters is properly funding our public schools and ensuring our children grow up in a safe and healthy environment.
How do you think the Indiana General Assembly should next assist in responding to the opioid crisis?
Bosma: We took historic steps this past session working with Gov. Holcomb to double the number of opioid treatment programs throughout the state. We are also completing construction of a new mental health and addiction hospital on Indianapolis’ east side as a treatment training ground for healthcare professionals around the state. During the upcoming session, we must concentrate funding for these vital programs to help those with addiction and mental health issues while continuing to focus on criminal justice reform to ensure we are incarcerating violent offenders while providing community corrections programs and treatment to those non-violent offenders afflicted by addiction.
Gill: We need to balance the needs of pain patients and the shortfalls in how we approach addiction and its underlying causes. Instead of just focusing on supply, we should also be addressing the problems that lead to addiction, through physical, emotional and mental health. I’ve heard from voters across the district that lawmakers need to be open minded to alternative pain solutions as well, including medical cannabis.
A May special session of the legislature resulted in adding an extra $5 million to the state’s school safety fund. What else do you think lawmakers need to do to keep schools safe?
Bosma: Indiana has been a national leader on school safety, but more must be done. This session the legislature made an additional $35 million available to local schools through low interest loans to improve school safety. Our school safety package also requires each school corporation undergo an onsite safety audit and update their safety protocols. We must continue these efforts and provide additional funding flexibility for local law enforcement to be present in schools and enact funding flexibility for school safety grants. Ultimately, we must provide every school with the resources necessary to ensure Hoosiers students have the safest environment possible.
Gill: I’m at the bus stop every morning with my daughter who is in first grade, along with other parents on our street. We want to make sure that when our children get on that bus, that they come home safely. I attended a school safety forum recently to hear from community leaders and the local police department about ways we can work together to make our schools safer. Some of the suggestions were adding more school resource officers and mental health counselors. Not every school has these resources right now. The police department and school administration did not recommend arming teachers, but instead having a properly trained school resource officer in each school. We need to set partisan politics aside and find solutions that will help keep our children safe in schools.