Lane Denton served in the Texas State Legislature from 1971 to 1977 and was Chair of the House Committee on Social Services and Chair of the Sub-committee on Public Welfare and in that role, he exposed the abusive treatment of out of state Black children in detention homes, and as a result the Texas Attorney General closed them down. As a Freshman Legislator in 1971, he was the leader of the reform movement that changed the manner in which the legislature functioned. He wrote the landmark Texas Open Records Law. In 1975, he was selectd as one of the top 100 Leaders in the State of Texas. He served on the staff of the Ted Kennedy For President Campaign in 1980. He was also the Director of the Southwest Region for the President Jimmy Carter Administration. He is presently writing his memoirs to be released in 2020.
