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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Concurrent Resolution 35
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON RULES (at the request of Representatives Julie Fahey, Ben Bowman, Christine
Drazan)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Honors the life and memory of Philip Lang. (Flesch Readability Score: 71.8).
In memoriam: Former Speaker of the House Philip Lang, 1929-2024.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Oregon lost one of its most committed public servants with the passing of Philip David
Lang on December 29, 2024; and
Whereas Phil was a lifelong Oregonian, born in Portland on December 16, 1929, the youngest
of five children born to Vera Margaret (Kern) Lang and Henry Winfield Lang; and
Whereas Phil’s roots in Oregon predate statehood, going back to 1848 when his family first ar-
rived in Oregon by wagon train; and
Whereas Phil proudly went through school in Portland, beginning with Woodstock Elementary
School, then continuing on to Franklin High School (where in May of 2024 he was honored with
Franklin High School Alumni Association’s highest honor, the Order of the Kite) and ultimately the
Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College; and
Whereas the vast majority of Phil’s 95 years were dedicated to public service at the local, state
and national levels through professional, elected, military and volunteer positions; and
Whereas Phil enlisted with the United States Army Air Corps at the age of 17, after earning the
reluctant support of his parents; and
Whereas Phil valiantly served his country with the Army Air Corps, including 25 months in
Japan with Air Force intelligence; and
Whereas while in his twenties, Phil served as an Oregon State Police Trooper and as Chief of
Staff to Portland Mayor Terry Schrunk, and even ran as a candidate for Multnomah County Sheriff,
albeit unsuccessfully; and
Whereas in 1960, Phil’s commitment to public service led him to run for the Oregon House of
Representatives, where he served from 1961 to 1979; and
Whereas Phil’s colleagues in the House of Representatives selected him to serve as Speaker of
the House from 1975 to 1979; and
Whereas during his time as Speaker of the House, Phil focused on leading the chamber with
respect, collegiality and a commitment to the principles upon which the legislative process was es-
tablished; and
Whereas Phil worked across the aisle on consequential issues such as the Equal Rights
Amendment, bridging the urban-rural divide, sustainable budgeting and other laws and policies that
have made lasting impacts on the lives of Oregonians; and
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 4781 HCR35
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Whereas Phil’s work in the legislature was never about ambition or personal recognition, but
rather about camaraderie, deepening his and his colleagues’ understanding of the issues faced by
Oregonians across the state, and an unyielding devotion to the future he and his peers were creating
for the generations to come; and
Whereas Phil’s commitment to the Oregon House of Representatives and the institution of the
Legislative Assembly led to this body naming the House wing of the Oregon State Capitol, con-
structed under his tenure as Speaker, the “Phil Lang Memorial House Wing” in 1997; and
Whereas outside of the Legislative Assembly, Phil had a successful 35-year career in insurance,
managing business lines across multiple states and ushering his company into the era of computers
and digital production; and
Whereas Phil volunteered as chair of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission from 1998 to 2011,
earning a reputation nationally as a thoughtful and pragmatic regulator; and
Whereas that reputation led Phil to serve on the board of the National Alcohol Beverage Con-
trol Association for several years, including one term as its chair; and
Whereas Phil served as a member of the board of directors of the Oregon State Capitol Foun-
dation, remaining committed through his final days to the foundation’s mission to preserve the
Capitol, share its history and engage Oregonians in our state’s democracy; and
Whereas that tireless service led to Phil, along with his wife of nearly 45 years, Ginny Lang,
being honored with the Bell Award for outstanding service to the foundation and the Capitol as a
whole; and
Whereas Phil is survived by his beloved Ginny, by his son, Philip David, and by a host of nieces,
nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; and
Whereas Phil’s friends, family and colleagues remember him as a true son of Oregon, a com-
mitted public servant, a steadfast advocate and a loving and compassionate person; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
That we, the members of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly, remember, honor and celebrate
the life of Philip Lang and recognize his contributions to our state and its people; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution shall be presented to the family of Philip Lang as an
expression of our sympathy for their loss and our profound gratitude for the man they shared with
us.
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