SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 258
	In Memory
	of
	Sylvester Turner
	WHEREAS, The life of an esteemed lawmaker and public
	servant drew to a close with the passing of the Honorable
	Sylvester Turner on March 5, 2025, at the age of 70; and
	WHEREAS, Congressman Turner's monumental career
	encompassed service as a state legislator, as the mayor of
	Houston, and as a member of the United States House of
	Representatives, and the ideals that guided all of his work
	were forged in the Bayou City's Acres Homes neighborhood,
	where he was raised; born on September 27, 1954, he shared a
	two-bedroom house with his parents and eight siblings in his
	early years; while watching the Kennedy-Nixon debates with
	his family as a small boy, he resolved to become a lawyer and
	public servant, beginning his lifelong commitment to helping
	others; his father, a commercial painter, died when he was
	just 13, and his mother continued to support the family as a
	housekeeper at the Rice Hotel; although neither of his parents
	received a diploma, he became student body president and
	valedictorian at Klein High School, and he went on to graduate
	from the University of Houston and Harvard Law School; and
	WHEREAS, Congressman Turner began his career as a trial
	lawyer with the Fulbright & Jaworski firm and later cofounded
	Barnes & Turner, a practice focused on commercial law and
	personal injury litigation; in addition, he taught at the
	Texas Southern UniversityThurgoodMarshallSchool ofLaw,at
	the South Texas College of Law, and in the University of
	Houston Law School continuing legal education program; and
	WHEREAS, First elected to the Texas House of
	Representatives in 1988, Congressman Turner was returned to
	office 13 times and served three terms as speaker pro tempore;
	he helped shape fiscal policy during more than two decades on
	the House Appropriations Committee and multiple terms as
	chair of its Subcommittee on Criminal Justice; moreover, he
	distinguished himself in his duties as a member of the
	Legislative Budget Board and as chair of the Texas Legislative
	Black Caucus and the Greater Houston Area Legislative
	Delegation; known for his eloquence and his ability to work
	across the aisle, he secured passage of such important
	legislation as a 2007 children's health insurance measure; his
	passion for health care, education, human services, consumer
	rights, and juvenile justice earned him recognition as "the
	conscience of the House"; and
	WHEREAS, Congressman Turner was elected to the first of
	two terms as Houston mayor in 2015; he guided the city through
	a period of unprecedented challenges, among them Hurricane
	Harvey and six other federally declared disasters, as well as
	the COVID-19 pandemic; early in his tenure, he strengthened
	finances by crafting a solution for the mounting pension debt
	crisis; he also promoted sustainability, bolstering the
	city's status as the energy capital of the world; addressing
	violent crime and mental health, he launched the One Safe
	Houston initiative, and other important programs included
	Hire Houston Youth, One Clean Houston, and Complete
	Communities, which fostered economic advancement through
	revitalization of underserved areas; in addition to his other
	responsibilities, heprovidednationalleadership inurban
	policy as chair of the Global Resilient Cities Network,
	Climate Mayors, and the African American Mayors Association,
	and he was a trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; and
	WHEREAS, In 2024, citizens elected him to Congress to
	represent the historically significant 18th Congressional
	District, and he served as a member of the Homeland Security
	and the Science, Space, and Technology Committees; during his
	time in office, he maintained the incomparable work ethic and
	whirlwind pace that defined his entire career, devoting
	himself to the lawmaking process, staying in close touch with
	constituents, and participating in numerous neighborhood and
	community-wide events in Houston; he also set aside time to
	attend the Church Without Walls, where he worshipped for well
	over three decades, and he rarely missed a Sunday service,
	even while undergoing cancer treatment; he was a member of
	Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and remained a
	proud Acres Homes resident; and
	WHEREAS, Dedicated to bridging divisions and creating
	vibrant communities for all, Sylvester Turner demonstrated
	visionary leadership that greatly benefited the city of
	Houston and the wider State of Texas, and his legacy will
	continue to inspire all those who seek to follow in his
	footsteps; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
	hereby honor the memory of Congressman Sylvester Turner and
	extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
	daughter, Ashley Turner Captain, and her husband, Jimmie; to
	his grandson, Jameson Captain; and to his other relatives and
	many friends; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns
	this day, it do so in memory of Congressman Turner.
	Miles
	Alvarado Hagenbuch Menéndez
	Bettencourt Hall Middleton
	Birdwell Hancock Nichols
	Blanco Hinojosa of Hidalgo Parker
	Campbell Hinojosa of Nueces Paxton
	Cook Huffman Perry
	Creighton Hughes Schwertner
	Eckhardt Johnson Sparks
	Flores King West
	Gutierrez Kolkhorst Zaffirini
	Patrick, President of the Senate
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on March 13, 2025, by a
		rising vote.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate