In conjunction with the 2017 Pro-Life Scorecard for the Regular and Special Sessions of the 85th Texas Legislature, Texas Right to Life published a 2017 Pro-Life Heroes list and a 2017 Disappointments List, highlighting specific legislators. This article is part of an ongoing series to explain how specific elected officials earned the title as a Pro-Life Hero or a Disappointment.
In 2015, Mike Lang launched his primary campaign to replace a high-ranking Straus ally in the House of Representatives. The moderate Republican, Jim Keffer, had found a niche in the Texas House for parading and propping up fake Pro-Life bills that did nothing to save lives and only provided Straus and his cronies political cover. Thankfully, the mere prospect of facing Lang, who had strong support in the district, in a primary election caused Keffer to retire and become a lobbyist for a left-leaning political think tank in Austin. Lang won the primary against another Straus-backed candidate without a runoff.
During his first session of the legislature, State Representative Mike Lang (R-Granbury) was one of only twelve House members invited to join the newly formed Texas House Freedom Caucus. The Freedom Caucus proved key for the Pro-Life movement in Texas since they secured and negotiated every Pro-Life victory in the Texas House this year.
Representative Lang did not play the expected role for freshmen in the Straus House, which is to sit quietly and watch more senior members work. Representative Lang filed an important Pro-Life amendment to the State’s budget increasing funding for the state’s program for Alternatives to Abortion. This program supports a statewide network of social service agencies, adoption agencies, maternity homes, and pregnancy centers, including several in Lang’s district, that offer Life-affirming options to expectant and new parents.
When the House appointed five members to serve on the Conference Committee on the State Budget, Lang authored a motion to instruct these House Budget Conferees to preserve the funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program at the higher level passed in the House. This was a bold step for a freshman legislator, but Representative Lang easily passed this motion by a vote of 88-46.
Texas Right to Life is thankful for Representative Mike Lang and his solidly Pro-Life legislative staff who constantly looked for ways to advance the Culture of Life. In addition to his 100% voting record on the Pro-Life Scorecard, we are proud to name him a 2017 Pro-Life Hero.
Click here for Lang’s full scorecard and see the commentary on his first session and how he voted on each individual Pro-Life public vote scored by Texas Right to Life.