Sylvester Turner
was raised in Acres Homes and attended the University of Houston and Harvard Law School before founding The Law Office of Barnes and Turner in 1983. He has served as a seminar lecturer for the University of Houston Law School and South Texas College of Law, and as an adjunct professor for the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
Rep. Turner was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1988 and has since earned the respect of his colleagues from every corner of the state and across the political spectrum. In the last legislative session, he authored and passed the bill which added 127,000 previously uninsured children to the Texas Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). He was awarded the 2007 Child Advocacy Award by the Texas Pediatric Society and the Presidential Award of Merit from the Texas Association of Family Physicians for his role in protecting the health of Texas children. Rep. Turner's 1991 and 2003 campaigns to be Houston's mayor brought the important issues of transportation, job creation, flooding, and improving the quality of life in all Houston communities to the forefront of debate.
In 2003, Rep. Turner was awarded the Helen Farabee Community Leadership Award by the Houston Mental Health Association. He has twice been honored by the Texas Classroom Teachers as a Legislative Star for leading the fight for students and educators. He was named one of "The Best of the 77th Legislature" by Hispanic Journal for his work on education and consumer rights. For his efforts to ensure open and accessible government, Turner was awarded the "Star of Texas Award" by Common Cause of Texas and the "Open Government Award" by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association. Rep. Turner was also named one of the Ten Best Legislators of the "75th"and the"80th" Legislative Sessions by Texas Monthly Magazine.
In addition, Rep. Turner has received three prestigious awards for his monumental work as a champion for the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid. These awards include the "2007 Texas Hospital Advocacy Tribute Award" by the Texas Hospital Association, the "Friends of Medicine Award" by the Texas Medical Association, and the "Champion for Children" Award by the Amerigroup Foundation. Rep. Turner has also been honored with the "2007 Park Advocate Award" from the Greater Houston Partnership which is symbolic of his lifetime commitment of positively transforming neighborhoods and communities. Rep. Turner has also been honored by the Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Texas for his work in securing funding for specialty clinics that serve low-income adult Texans with seizure disorders. Rep. Turner has also received the Legislative Award from the Texas Police Chiefs Association and the Legislative Excellence Award from the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas.
In 2006, Representative Turner was appointed as one of three house members to the Legislative Budget Board which oversees the State's $150 billion dollar budget. In his previous legislative service, Rep. Turner served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Texas Legislature, Chairman of Budget and Oversight of the Regulated Industries Committee, member of the powerful Calendars Committee, Chairman of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee with the Appropriations Committee and as member of the Select Committee on Electric Capacity and Environmental Effects.
Most recently, Rep. Turner was appointed by House Speaker Tom Craddick to serve as chair of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Ike Storm Devastation to the Texas Gulf Coast. The committee was charged with reviewing and providing recommendations for the state and local government response to the hurricane and identifying issues for the Texas Legislature to address to prepare for future natural disasters and their aftermath.
Rep. Turner is currently serving as a member of the State Affairs Committee, Business and Industry Committee, Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee and is also serving as Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and CoChair of the Harris County Legislative Delegation.
Rep. Turner is a member of Brookhollow Baptist Church and he's the proud father of Ashley Paige Turner, a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Woman's University.
