Terms of Service

• House, 84th ^{(1) (5)} Legislature
  1/13/2015 - 1/1/2016
  Democrat
  
• House, 83rd Legislature
  1/8/2013 - 1/13/2015
  Democrat
  
• House, 82nd Legislature
  1/11/2011 - 1/8/2013
  Democrat
  
• House, 81st Legislature
  1/13/2009 - 1/11/2011
  Democrat
  
• House, 80th Legislature
  1/9/2007 - 1/13/2009
  Democrat
  Speaker Pro Tem, 1/29/2007.
• House, 79th Legislature
  1/11/2005 - 1/9/2007
  Democrat
  Speaker Pro Tem, 1/27/2005.
• House, 78th ⁽⁴⁾ Legislature
  1/14/2003 - 1/11/2005
  Democrat
  Speaker Pro Tem, 1/30/2003.
• House, 77th Legislature
  1/9/2001 - 1/14/2003
  Democrat
  
• House, 76th Legislature
  1/12/1999 - 1/9/2001
  Democrat
  
• House, 75th ^{(2) (3)} Legislature
  1/14/1997 - 1/12/1999
  Democrat
  
• House, 74th Legislature
  1/10/1995 - 1/14/1997
  Democrat
  
• House, 73rd Legislature
  1/12/1993 - 1/10/1995
  Democrat
  
• House, 72nd Legislature
  1/8/1991 - 1/12/1993
  Democrat
  
• House, 71st Legislature
  1/10/1989 - 1/8/1991
  Democrat
  

(1) Proclamation, 1/15/2016, ordering special election in House District 139 on 5/7/2016 to serve out unexpired term of Sylvester Turner. Governor Greg Abbott .
(2) Absent for roll of members-elect, 1/14/1997, S. Turner sworn later that day, p. 19. House Journal .
(3) Sworn 1/14/1997. Oaths of Office .
(4) Appointed Speaker Pro Tempore, 78th Legislature, 1/30/2003. Speaker of the House .
(5) Sylvester Turner resignation letter to Speaker Joe Straus, 12/30/2015, effective 1/1/2016 at 9:00 am. Speaker of the House .

Biographical Notes and Resources

Resolutions and Journal entries

• 84th Legislature - Address by Representative S. Turner on a Matter of Personal Privilege, 5/31/2015, pp. 5767-5769. House Journal .
• 84th Legislature, R.S., HR 3525. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• 85th Legislature, R.S., HR 452, celebrating Black History Month and honoring the leadership and vision of African American lawmakers. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• 87th Legislature, R.S., HR 1421. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .

Photographs

• Photograph. Speaker Pro Tem Sylvester Turner, Speaker of the House Tom Craddick and parliamentarian Terry Keel. 2007. Photo courtesy of Terry Keel, Donated Material
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, Members of the 79th Legislature Texas House of Representatives (CD-RW)
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, Texas House of Representatives
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Sylvester Turner, State Preservation Board
• Photograph, Flip Book Photographs: Texas House of Representatives, 74th Legislature 1995.
• Photograph, Flip Book Photographs: Texas House of Representatives, 79th Legislature 2005.

Other Resources

• Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston. City of Houston .
• Mentioned in Minority Civil Rights and the Texas Legislature 2018.
• Biographical sketch, 82nd Legislature. Texas House of Representatives .
• Biographical sketch, 78th Legislature. Texas House of Representatives .
• Legislative profile, 74th Legislature, 1995. "Scenes From the 74th: The Laney-Bush Session," 6/16/1995. Texas Observer .
• Biographical sketch, "Speaker of the House: Sylvester Turner's Rhetorical Force Versus George Bush's Education Agenda," 5/19/1995. Texas Observer .
• Honorable Mention, "Legislative Stars Shine Through Difficult Session," Volume 15, Number 2, Summer 1995, pp. 8-9, 29 The Classroom Teacher: The Magazine of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association .

Committee Information

• 84th R.S. - 2015
• Appropriations (Vice Chair) 
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Articles I, IV, and V (General Government, the Judiciary, and Criminal Justice and Public Safety) (Chair) 
• State Affairs  
• 83rd R.S. - 2013
• Appropriations (Vice Chair) 
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Articles I, IV, and V (General Government, the Judiciary, and Criminal Justice and Public Safety) (Chair) 
• Economic Stabilization Fund Balance, Select  
• Fiscal Impact of Texas Border Support Operations, Select  
• State Affairs  
• 82nd R.S. - 2011
• Appropriations (Vice Chair) 
• Appropriations Subcommittee on the Current Fiscal Condition  
• General Revenue Dedicated Accounts, Interim  
• State Affairs  
• 81st R.S. - 2009
• Business and Industry  
• Criminal Justice, Oversight  
• Fiscal Stability, Select (Vice Chair) 
• State Affairs  
• 80th R.S. - 2007
• Appropriations  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (Chair) 
• Calendars  
• Criminal Justice, Oversight  
• Electric Generation Capacity and Environmental Effects, Select  
• Hurricane Ike Storm Devastation to the Texas Gulf Coast, Select (Chair) 
• Operation and Management of the Texas Youth Commission, Select  
• Regulated Industries (Chair - Budget & Oversight) 
• 79th R.S. - 2005
• Appropriations  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (Chair) 
• Calendars  
• Regulated Industries (Chair - Budget & Oversight) 
• 78th R.S. - 2003
• Appropriations  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Article IX  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (Articles IV and V) (Chair) 
• Calendars  
• Higher Education, Interim  
• Higher Education, Legislative Oversight  
• Regulated Industries (Chair - Budget & Oversight) 
• 77th R.S. - 2001
• Appropriations  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Article IX  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (Co-Chair) 
• Calendars  
• State Affairs (Vice Chair) 
• 76th R.S. - 1999
• Appropriations  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Article IX  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (Chair) 
• Calendars  
• Electric Utility Restructuring, Legislative Oversight  
• State Affairs (Vice Chair) 
• 75th R.S. - 1997
• Appropriations  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Article IX  
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (Chair) 
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Dedicated Funds (Chair) 
• Calendars  
• State Affairs (Vice Chair) 
• 74th R.S. - 1995
• Appropriations  
• Calendars  
• State Affairs (Vice Chair) 
• 73rd R.S. - 1993
• Calendars (Vice Chair) 
• Corrections  
• Public Utility Commission, Interim  
• State Affairs  
• Uniform Jury Handbook, Legislative Oversight  
• 72nd R.S. - 1991
• Energy  
• Energy Subcommittee on Budget and Oversight (Vice Chair) 
• House Administration  
• Labor and Employment Relations  
• Labor and Employment Relations Subcommittee on Budget and Oversight  
• 71st R.S. - 1989
• Energy  
• Job Training Partnership Act Monitoring  
• Judicial Selection  
• Labor and Employment Relations  
• Labor and Employment Relations Subcommittee on Budget and Oversight