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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Houston lost a tireless champion of |
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opportunity and positive change with the passing of Congressman |
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Sylvester Turner on March 5, 2025, at the age of 70; and |
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WHEREAS, A former mayor of the city and a longtime member of |
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the Texas Legislature, Sylvester Turner was born in Houston on |
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September 27, 1954, and grew up with eight siblings in a two-bedroom |
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house in the Acres Homes neighborhood; while watching the |
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Kennedy-Nixon debates with his family as a small boy, he resolved to |
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become a lawyer and public servant, beginning his lifelong |
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commitment to helping others; his father, a commercial painter, |
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died when he was just 13, and his mother continued to support the |
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family as a housekeeper at the Rice Hotel; although neither of his |
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parents received a diploma, he became student body president and |
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valedictorian at Klein High School, and he went on to graduate from |
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the University of Houston and Harvard Law School; and |
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WHEREAS, Congressman Turner began his career as a trial |
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lawyer with the Fulbright & Jaworski firm and later cofounded |
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Barnes & Turner, a practice focused on commercial law and personal |
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injury litigation; in addition, he taught at the Texas Southern |
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University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, at the South Texas |
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College of Law, and in the University of Houston Law School |
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continuing legal education program; and |
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WHEREAS, First elected to the Texas House of Representatives |
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in 1988, Congressman Turner was reelected 13 times and served three |
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terms as speaker pro tempore; he helped shape fiscal policy during |
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more than two decades on the House Appropriations Committee and |
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multiple terms as chair of its Subcommittee on Criminal Justice; |
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moreover, he distinguished himself in his duties as a member of the |
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Legislative Budget Board and as chair of the Texas Legislative |
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Black Caucus and the Greater Houston Area Legislative Delegation; |
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known for his eloquence and his ability to work across the aisle, he |
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secured passage of such important legislation as a 2007 children's |
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health insurance measure; his passion for health care, education, |
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human services, consumer rights, and juvenile justice earned him |
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recognition as "the conscience of the House"; and |
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WHEREAS, Congressman Turner was elected to the first of two |
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terms as Houston mayor in 2015; he guided the city through a period |
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of unprecedented challenges, among them Hurricane Harvey and six |
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other federally declared disasters, as well as the COVID-19 |
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pandemic; early in his tenure, he strengthened finances by crafting |
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a solution for the mounting pension debt crisis; he also promoted |
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sustainability, bolstering the city's status as the energy capital |
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of the world; addressing violent crime and mental health, he |
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launched the One Safe Houston initiative, and other important |
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programs included Hire Houston Youth, One Clean Houston, and |
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Complete Communities, which fostered economic advancement through |
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revitalization of underserved areas; in addition to his other |
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responsibilities, he provided national leadership in urban policy |
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as chair of the Global Resilient Cities Network, Climate Mayors, |
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and the African American Mayors Association, and he was a trustee of |
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the U.S. Conference of Mayors; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2024, citizens elected him to Congress to |
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represent the historically significant 18th Congressional |
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District, and he served as a member of the Homeland Security and the |
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Science, Space, and Technology Committees; during his time in |
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office, he maintained the incomparable work ethic and whirlwind |
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pace that defined his entire career, devoting himself to the |
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lawmaking process, staying in close touch with constituents, and |
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participating in numerous neighborhood and community-wide events |
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in Houston; he also set aside time to attend the Church Without |
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Walls, where he worshipped for well over three decades, and he |
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rarely missed a Sunday service, even while undergoing cancer |
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treatment; he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, |
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Incorporated, and remained a proud resident of the Acres Homes |
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community where he grew up; and |
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WHEREAS, Intent on fulfilling his mission until the very |
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last, Sylvester Turner made an enduring, positive difference in the |
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lives of millions of Texans through his transformative public |
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service, and although his loss is deeply felt, his extraordinary |
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contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable |
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Sylvester Turner and extend sincere condolences to the members of |
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his family: to his daughter, Ashley Turner Captain, and her |
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husband, Jimmie; to his grandson, Jameson Captain; to his other |
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relatives and a host of friends and colleagues; and to all who mourn |
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his passing; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of |
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Congressman Turner. |