SR258 - In memory of U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner of Houston.

        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