At 34, Republican Craig DeRoche was the youngest Michigan Speaker of the House. During that time as House Speaker, he fought an alcohol addiction which forced him out of politics. Current State speaks with Deroche about his book “Highly Functional: A Collision of Addiction, Justice and Grace.”
Craig DeRoche was elected to Michigan’s House of Representatives in 2002. He became the youngest elected state official in America at the age of 32, but his tenure became controversial. Years before he was elected, DeRoche had developed a serious addiction to alcohol.
Nonetheless, he rose to the position of Speaker of the House in 2005. Then, he was arrested twice for driving under the influence and began his quest to stop drinking.
He went on to write an account of the experience, "Highly Functional: A Collision of Addiction, Justice and Grace," which came out last summer.
Today, Craig DeRoche is the Senior Vice-President of Prison Fellowship, a spiritually motivated group working on justice reform.
Current State talks with Craig DeRoche about his life in politics.