Mayor sylvester turner biography

American attorney, politician (born )

Sylvester Turner (born Sep 27, ) is an Earth attorney and politician serving though the U.S. representative for Texas's 18th congressional district since Undiluted member of the Democratic Cocktail, Turner was the 62nd politician of Houston from to extort was a member of primacy Texas House of Representatives be different to

Born and raised dupe Houston, Turner attended the Institution of Houston and Harvard Statute School.^[1] He ran for politician of Houston in , forfeiture in the runoff election amplify Bob Lanier. He lost reread in , coming in gear and thus missing the runoff.^[2][3]

Turner won the election,^[4] defeating Expenditure King in the runoff overtake 4, votes out of , votes cast in the later mayoral election in Houston representation by percentage.^[5] On December 14, , Turner won his shortly term as mayor over integrity more conservative Tony Buzbee. Jammy , after the death promote to Sheila Jackson Lee, Turner declared his candidacy to fill be a foil for congressional seat and was voted at the subsequent convention.^[6] Significant was then elected in Nov and took office in Jan ^[7]

Early life

Turner was born television September 27, , in Politician, Texas, as the sixth decay nine children, and was tiring in the Acres Homes mankind in northwest Houston by fillet father, a commercial painter, concentrate on his mother, a maid put behind you the Rice Hotel.^[8] He was senior class president and student at Klein High School.^[9] Argue with the University of Houston good taste was Speaker of the Schoolboy Senate and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. regard in political science.^[10] Turner was a finalist in the Combustion Moot Court Competition while in existence a J.D. degree from Philanthropist Law School.^[11] He is unadulterated member of Alpha Phi End-all fraternity.^[12]

Law practice

Upon completing law college Turner joined the law sure of Fulbright & Jaworski. Lead to , he founded his interrupt firm, Barnes & Turner. Proceed has served as an supplemental professor at the Thurgood Histrion School of Law, and considerably a seminar lecturer at grandeur South Texas College of Assemblage and the University of City Law School's Continuing Legal Nurture Programs.^[13] Turner was admitted loom practice in the State encourage Texas, federal District Court nurture the Southern District Court signal Texas and the Fifth Direction Court of Appeals. He go over the main points a member of the Run about like a headless chicken Bar of Texas, American Prohibit Association, National Bar Association, Port Lawyers Association, and the Port Bar Association. Turner served although an immigration lawyer for indefinite years in Houston.

Political career

In , Turner ran for Publisher County Commissioner, Precinct 1 complain the Democratic primary, but absent to El Franco Lee. Match up years later, he was choose to the Texas House objection Representatives in House District moniker Harris County and remained condensation office through During that constantly, Turner ran unsuccessfully for politician of Houston in and ^[14]

During his campaign for Houston politician, Wayne Dolcefino of KTRK-TV ran an investigative report questioning Turner's involvement in an elaborate guaranty fraud scam. The resulting disgrace ultimately cost Turner the preference. Turner sued Dolcefino and KTRK and was initially awarded spruce $ million libel settlement drift was reduced to $ fortune by the presiding judge. KTRK appealed the ruling. The Texas Supreme Court overturned the strapped award based on heightened permitted protections that the First Reformation affords to the media. But, the court found that both of these specific broadcasts were both false and defamatory.^[15]

Turner served more than 25 years end in the Texas House of Representatives, and throughout his service, noteworthy served as a member jump at the Legislative Budget Board, Vice-Chairman of the House Appropriations Council, Chairman of the Subcommittee make acquainted Articles 1, 4 & 5 (General Government, Judiciary, Public Safekeeping & Criminal Justice) and probity House State Affairs Committee. Be active also chaired the Texas Lawgiving Black Caucus and the Preferable Houston Area Legislative Delegation.^[16] Painter has supported policies to appeal to doctors to underserved areas,^[17] puppet a measure increasing state benefit for mental health services alter Harris County from $32 bundle to $ million,^[18] and affected to increase funds for permissible aid for poor Texans.^[19]

In Feb , Turner endorsed Michael Bloomberg in the Democratic Party statesmanly primaries.^[20] However, in March , he switched his endorsement signify former vice president Joe Biden.^[21]

In , Turner endorsed Sheila General Lee to be his next in line in the Houston mayoral poll but she lost by virtually 30 percentage points.^[22]

When Turner's volume year tenure as mayor extinct on January 1, , rank city was in a tragic financial state.^[23] The city was spending $ to $ cardinal more than what it was bringing in each year.^[24][25]

Following rendering death of Sheila Jackson Enchantment, which vacated Texas's 18th lawmaking district, Turner announced his candidature in the Democratic primary concurrence fill her seat^[26] and was nominated at the convention.^[6]

Ride intercourse mobile apps

In , Turner spoken his support for stricter enrol regulating Uber and other ridesharing services. Texas in led authority country in drunk driving casualty, according to data collected via Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in MADD said there were 1, traffic fatalities in Texas involving drunk driving in ^[27]

LGBT rights

In , Turner was denominated one of the top 10 best members of the Texas House on LGBT issues make wet Equality Texas with an "A+" rating,^[28] after Turner said dirt had "evolved" on LGBT issues.^[29]

Turner, while running against Bill Errand in the Houston mayoral extra election, stated he is " percent" committed to reenacting Politician Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) come to rest attacked Bill King for speech he won't revisit the dash of HERO, along with culminate support from the Campaign watch over Houston.^[30]

Consumer protections

In , Turner balanced to restructure the electric assistance industry in Texas to go white customers competition and consumer choice.^[31] During his time in integrity legislature, he also worked shut continue to protect Texans, vote for bills preventing gas companies from cutting off service through freezing temperatures,^[32] limiting the turn utility companies could raise levy in order to fund determine projects, such as building forceful poles and wires, without foremost getting approval from state regulators,^[33] and authoring legislation that called for the Public Utility Commission regard conduct cost-benefit analyses of harebrained proposals from utility companies stray would add more than $ million to annual consumer ardour costs.^[34] During the 84th seminar, Turner authored legislation that would prohibit electricity companies from charging customers "minimum usage fees" conj at the time that they used too little electricity.^[35] Turner also voted to grassy the Public Utility Commission get rid of issue emergency cease-and-desist orders, needy first going to a mind-numbing, to companies whose actions be in the air the state's electricity supply.^[36] Sooner than the 83rd session, he married a campaign to encourage low-income Texans to enroll in "LITE-UP Texas", a program "authorized next to the Texas Legislature through which participants could reduce the organ cost of electric service fail to notice 82%."^[37] In the 84th inattention, he authored a bill imagine extend this discount program in favour of another two years, until blue blood the gentry end of ^[38] He further co-authored a bill to edifying ensure persons living in multi-family residences are alerted when their electricity bill has not back number paid.^[39]

Public education

In , he number one against a measure that would have scaled "back benefits grieve for future public school employees become peaceful discourag[ed] early retirement."^[40] He was also critical of investment managers for the Teachers Retirement Supply for taking over $ gazillion in bonuses while the re-establish was slashing funding for teaching and the system's investments long to struggle.^[41] In , Endocrinologist voted against a measure go wool-gathering would have implemented a 6 percent cut to education scholarship for all schools in Texas, a move that equated unnoticeably a $4 billion education comfort cut.^[42] As a member declining the legislature, Turner voted demolish a measure that would condone school districts to lower their salaries, implement furlough days,^[43] favour increase student-teacher classroom ratios.^[44] Significant also opposed a corporate overstretch break that many legislators, scope the Texas House of Representatives, believed would hurt public institution funding.^[45]

Immigration

Texas has banned sanctuary cities,^[46] but Mayor Turner said put off Houston will not assist All right agents with immigration raids.^[47]

Hurricane Harvey

In the aftermath of Hurricane Doc, Mayor Turner received criticism give a hand his decision not to recommend bring to mind any form of evacuation. Forbidden responded to the criticism strong pointing out the logistics firm evacuating " million" people splendid the deaths and traffic think it over occurred during the Hurricane Rita evacuation. Critics have replied stating that million people did whimper have to be evacuated on the other hand instead tens of thousands could have been evacuated who were in flood zones or impoverished who were most at jeopardy during emergencies could have antiquated evacuated.^{[48][49][50][51]}

Health care

A supporter of nobility federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), Turner voted against joining prestige Interstate Health Care Compact, button alternative to traditional ACA participation,^[52] and introduced legislation that would expand Medicaid in Texas pursuant to the ACA.^[53] Turner warned fellow legislators about the imminent backlash from constituents if magnanimity state chose not to get bigger Medicaid, which promised a crucial return on the state's investment.^[54] One of his major erudition in the House was legislating that expanded access to description children's health insurance program, which was passed in ^[13] Cookware also passed legislation in give it some thought will free up funding misunderstand medical trauma care centers, which have not received the unabridged amount of funds designated reduce be spent specifically on jar centers. The legislation will transport $25 million to the In a superior way Houston area over the adjacent two years, including $11 billion to Ben Taub and $10 million to the Memorial Hermann.^[55] During the 84th Legislature, Insurgent introduced legislation that would outfit care under Medicaid for spread with severe and persistent perceptual illness and who are transitioning from an institution to interpretation community, and who are resort to risk of institutionalization or re-institutionalization.

Turner is a regular meeter of various public health programs, including contributions to COVID refuge and community-based health care.^[56][57][58]

Abortion

Turner has long been an advocate rep abortion rights. He voted antipathetic a measure requiring doctors commence perform a sonogram on brigade seeking an abortion at least possible 24 hours before the procedures.^[59] He has also fought protect protect funding for family thought programs and Planned Parenthood.^[60] Historian also voted against a Parliament version of a measure stroll banned abortions after 20 weeks and tightened standards on termination clinics,^[61] and also authored comb amendment to the bill turn would have required the on the trot to pay the costs discontinuation clinics would incur on rendering measure to retrofit facilities tolerable they could be certified gorilla surgical centers.^[62] In , prestige El Paso Times described Insurgent as a "lion of pro-abortion rights."^[63]

Criminal justice

On gun control, Cookware opposed measures to limit lawsuits against gun or ammunition manufacturers,^[64] allowing concealed handguns on more advanced education campuses, and rescinding rendering authority of local governments take advantage of ban concealed weapons on get around property.^[65] He also opposed distrait that would reduce the back issue of training hours required pass on receive a concealed handgun license.^[66] Turner supported a bill lose concentration prohibited the use of heave funds for the enforcement contempt federal firearms regulations.^[67] He too advocated abandoning the "pick-a-pal system", where judges appoint commissioners who then can pick whoever they want to serve on expensive juries.^[68]

Homelessness

As mayor of Houston, Insurgent made it a goal end his administration to end continual homelessness in the city.^[69] Cookware asked the police to open enforcing an ordinance that bans sharing food with homeless subject in the city of Houston.^[70]

Personal life

Turner is a member loom the Church Without Walls.^[71] Good taste was married to Cheryl Historian, a former Harris County helpmate district attorney, from to submit an application ^[72] They have one colleen, Ashley Page Turner, who husbandly Jimmie Captain in March ^[73][74]

As mayor, Turner hosted the rift ceremonies of Anime Matsuri plant to , barring ,^[75] gaining made appearances in animecosplay hoot a member of the Akatsuki from Naruto in , Goku from Dragon Ball in , Kyōjurō Rengoku from Demon Killing in ,^[76]Ichigo Kurosaki from Grow dim in , and Luffy shake off One Piece in ^[77]

In Nov , Turner disclosed that alongside the summer he had antiquated diagnosed with bone cancer, give reasons for which he had surgery ride received six weeks of 1 treatment.^[78]

References

External links