Mike McLane, the former Republican House leader from Powell Butte, was promoted Saturday to the rank of colonel in the Oregon Air National Guard.

McLane received the rank insignia of twin silver eagles to become a full “bird” colonel during an afternoon promotion ceremony at the Major General George White Headquarters of the Oregon National Guard in Salem.

National Guard Maj. Gen. Michael Stencel, the adjutant general of Oregon, presided, assisted by McLane’s wife, Holly.

McLane serves as a staff judge advocate based in Salem in his part-time services with the Air National Guard.

McLane previously served as an officer in the 41st Infantry “Sunset” Brigade of the Oregon Army National Guard, based at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas County. While with the Air National Guard, he earlier was attached to the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls.

A native of Condon, in Gilliam County, McLane graduated from Condon High, has a B.S. in Agricultural Resource Economics from Oregon State University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Lewis & Clark Law School. He went on to clerk for Oregon Supreme Court Justice W. Michael Gillette.

McLane was elected to the House District 55 seat in November 2010 and won re-election four times. He was the leader of the minority House Republicans beginning until 2013 and stayed as the GOP point-man until after the 2018. Democrats took a three-fifths supermajority in the House that November allowing them to pass taxes and other financial legislation without Republican support. McLane stepped down from his leadership position at the time.

In 2019, McLane accepted an appointment by Gov. Kate Brown to the 22nd Circuit Court as a judge in Crook and Jefferson County. He opted to leave the bench in 2021 and return to private practice with Lynch Murphy McLane, a Bend law firm where he is still practicing law.

In 2022, Republican wins pushed Democrats under the supermajority level for the first time in four years. House Republicans are again led by a Crook County lawmaker, Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville.

In additional to legal work, McLane co-founded a children’s book publishing company, which produced the “Flying Rhino Junior High” Saturday morning cartoon. McLane also co-authored “Wooden Teeth and Jelly Beans.”

Mike and Holly McLane live in Powell Butte and are the parents of three children.