89R17471 BPG-D
By: Thompson H.R. No. 525
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Houston lost a tireless champion of
opportunity and positive change with the passing of Congressman
Sylvester Turner on March 5, 2025, at the age of 70; and
WHEREAS, A former mayor of the city and a longtime member of
the Texas Legislature, Sylvester Turner was born in Houston on
September 27, 1954, and grew up with eight siblings in a two-bedroom
house in the Acres Homes neighborhood; 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
University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 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 reelected 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, he provided national leadership in urban 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 resident of the Acres Homes
community where he grew up; and
WHEREAS, Intent on fulfilling his mission until the very
last, Sylvester Turner made an enduring, positive difference in the
lives of millions of Texans through his transformative public
service, and although his loss is deeply felt, his extraordinary
contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable
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; to his other
relatives and a host of friends and colleagues; and to all who mourn
his passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of
Congressman Turner.