Legislative intern

Nearly four years ago, Portland native Alex Clark was majoring in nursing at the University of Indianapolis.

Since then, he’s interned for Indiana Sen. Todd Young, Rep. Susan Brooks and 2018 4th Congressional District candidate Steve Braun. Now he’s nearly completed an internship for Indiana Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, and his fellow republican state representatives spanning the 2020 legislative session.

Doesn’t sound like a nursing major, huh?

That’s because he called his mom, Ramona, about two weeks into his college career and told her he didn’t know why he was studying nursing and not political science.

He said the confusion was reciprocated by his parents, who also thought he should study politics. After that, he made the switch.

He graduated with a degree in political science in December.

Clark’s interest in politics was evident in high school, when he helped 3rd Congressional District candidate Kip Tom’s unsuccessful campaign by driving around Jay County and placing pro-Kip Tom signs in yards, he said.

Now, the 2016 Jay County High School graduate is getting his first experience with state politics. He said he didn’t really have a passion for what goes on at the state level until a couple of years ago, but what he’s found is that there are a lot of positives that come from working in Indiana.

“State politics, in my opinion, are much more efficient,” Clark said. State legislators naturally are down-to-earth and connected with their constituents because they’re “everyday citizens,” he added.

“These people are just people,” he said, pointing out that legislators in both chambers work at their statehouse gig part-time and many have jobs outside of Indianapolis.

Unlike Congress, he said, bipartisanship is always a focus during the Indiana General Assembly, even though Republicans benefit from a super majority.

As an intern he’s assisted with the House’s meetings, both in committee and during full sessions. He’s most proud to have helped work on House Bill 1004, which would increase the legal smoking age in Indiana from 18 to 21.

He said the bill, which passed out of the House in January and the Senate on Tuesday, has received a lot of positive feedback from Bosma’s constituents, who encompass northeast Indianapolis and the more rural surrounding area.

The internship also has provided Clark with an opportunity to network in state politics, something he said he’ll use when he looks for his next job after the House adjourns at the end of the week.