STATE REP. MIKE HALPIN
My friend and mentor Lane Evans died almost five years ago.
He left Congress, due to Parkinson’s disease, seven years before that. Yet, in
many ways, Lane was a man ahead of his time.
To confront many of today’s challenges, we might look to
Lane’s example. That’s why I and a number of other leaders who were close to
Lane will be commemorating his legacy at Augustana College on Saturday, Oct. 19
from 1-4 p.m. The Lane Evans “Election 2020: Putting People First” forum will
highlight many of the ideals Lane stood for years ahead of his time that are
urgently needed now.
One of our country’s biggest challenges today is income
inequality -- the large and growing gap between the wealthiest few and the rest
of us. For 24 years in Congress, Lane was a steadfast champion of working
families and the hard-pressed middle-class. He opposed efforts to weaken
unions, which fight for better wages and working conditions for all Americans.
And he stood up against repeated attempts to undermine Social Security and
Medicare -- critical programs that provide seniors with the dignity and
security they deserve.
Lane also recognized, before many others, that clean air and
water are essential to our future and he voted consistently to protect our
natural environment from harm. Today, as we face the growing effects of climate
change, such as rising oceans and catastrophic storms, we could learn from
Lane’s example of making the environment a priority -- even in tough economic
times.
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