HR525 - In memory of U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner.

      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.     Thompson   Y. Davis of Dallas   Dutton   Lalani     Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw   Alders Guillen Morgan   Allen Harless Muñoz   Anchía Harris Noble   Ashby Harris Davila Olcott   Barry Harrison Oliverson   Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz   Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr   Bernal Hernandez Patterson   Bhojani Hickland Paul   Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso   Bowers Holt Perez of Harris   Bryant Hopper Phelan   Buckley Howard Pierson   Bucy Hull Plesa   Bumgarner Hunter Raymond   Button Isaac Reynolds   Cain Johnson Richardson   Campos Jones of Dallas Rodríguez Ramos   Canales Jones of Harris Romero   Capriglione Kerwin Rose   Cole King Rosenthal   Collier Kitzman Schatzline   Cook LaHood Schofield   Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft   Craddick Lambert Shaheen   Cunningham Landgraf Shofner   Curry Leach Simmons   Darby Leo Wilson Slawson   A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee   Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller   Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson   DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico   Dorazio Louderback Tepper   Dutton Lowe Thompson   Dyson Lozano Tinderholt   Fairly Lujan Toth   Flores Luther Troxclair   Frank Manuel Turner   Gámez Martinez VanDeaver   Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut   Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos   Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell   Gates Metcalf Vo   Gerdes Meyer Walle   Geren Meza Ward Johnson   Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton   González of Dallas Moody Wilson   González of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu   Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 525 was unanimously adopted by a rising   vote of the House on March 13, 2025.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House