Ballotpedia: Chris Turner

Chris is originally from Dallas. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives with his wife Lisa in Grand Prairie. 

Chris works as a communications consultant. 

Chris Turner is a state representative for State House District 101. He was first elected in 2012 and is serving his 6th term. He previously served as the chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2017 through 2022.

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Supports increasing the minimum wage and legislation for "equal pay for equal work."

As a legislator, co-authored legislation increasing the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000.

Co-authored legislation that increased the homestead tax exemption from $25,000 to $40,000.

- Supports increasing the minimum wage and legislation for "equal pay for equal work."
- Co-authored legislation that increased the homestead tax exemption from $25,000 to $40,000.

Economy

Supports law enforcement and first responders, and has passed bills to enhance community safety and combat child pornography.

Supports law enforcement and first responders, and has helped pass bills to enhance community safety and combat child pornography.

- Supports law enforcement and first responders, and has helped pass bills to enhance community safety and combat child pornography.

Public Safety

Supports access to abortion and was named a Planned Parenthood Legislative Champion in 2017 for his commitment to protecting reproductive rights.

Believes in protecting vulnerable populations, such as intellectually disabled individuals, and supports legislation that safeguards their rights and well-being.

Helped pass legislation that protects intellectually disabled individuals.

Believes that "addressing mental health must be a top priority at the state level."

Supports expanding Medicaid and providing coverage to working adults.

- Supports access to abortion.
- Helped pass legislation that protects intellectually disabled individuals.
- Believes that "addressing mental health must be a top priority at the state level."
- Supports expanding Medicaid and providing coverage to working adults.

Healthcare

Supports investing in early education by expanding access to full-day pre-kindergarten programs for all Texas children.

Opposes private school vouchers that divert taxpayer money from public schools.

Supports protecting the Teacher Retirement System and assisting teachers with health care costs.

Supports protecting the Texas teacher retirement system and assisting teachers with health care costs.

Opposes efforts to repeal in-state tuition for "Dreamers", who are immigrants that were brought to America at a young age and have protected status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

- Supports investing in early education by expanding access to full-day pre-kindergarten programs for all Texas children.
- Opposes private school vouchers that divert taxpayer money from public schools.
- Supports protecting the Texas teacher retirement system and assisting teachers with health care costs.
- Opposes efforts to repeal in-state tuition for "Dreamers", who are immigrants that were brought to America at a young age and have protected status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Education

Supports creating a fund for Texas water and amending the bidding process to ensure transparency.

Supports creating a fund for Texas water and ensuring transparency in the bidding process.

- Supports creating a fund for Texas water and ensuring transparency in the bidding process.

Energy & the Environment

Opposes "discriminatory legislation" such as the photo voter ID law and unfair redistricting maps.

Opposes the state's voter ID law and redistricting maps.

Believes redistricting should create "fair maps that accurately represent our state’s population."

As a state representative, passed a ban on "double dipping" by elected officials, which prohibits them from receiving multiple public salaries.

- Opposes the state's voter ID law and redistricting maps.
- Believes redistricting should create "fair maps that accurately represent our state’s population."
- As a state representative, passed a ban on "double dipping" by elected officials, which prohibits them from receiving multiple public salaries.

Voting & Elections

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Chris Turner

Chris Turner currently works as a state representative for district 101. He previously served as the chair of the house democratic caucus from 2017 through 2022. He also works as a communications consultant. 

Chris Turner currently serves as a state representative for Texas house of representatives district 101. He was first elected in 2012 and is serving his 6th term. 

Believes that the lack of available group homes for individuals with disabilities will create a housing crisis.

Believes short staffing in direct care work leads to harder workdays, more overtime, and the need for multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Works at a four-bedroom group home in Grapevine, run by Champion Services.

Believes the local economy is insufficient to provide adequate support for families.

Believes in providing quality care and support for clients, emphasizing the importance of personal relationships and meeting their needs.

Supports increasing pay to provide better client attention and reduce the need to seek additional work elsewhere.

Works as a hairstylist on her days off to make ends meet and believes that the need for a second job affects focus and performance in her primary job at the group home.

As a state representative, Turner filed a bill to regulate trampoline parks.

Supports regulating trampoline parks to enhance safety, following a Star-Telegram investigation revealing nearly 500 injuries at 21 parks in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2015.

Believes that as group homes struggle to retain staff, they’re losing experienced workers who know how to deal with the hardest parts of the job.

Supports addressing the economic factors contributing to the closure of group homes, as these closures impact residents and force relocations from family and friends.

Believes the governor’s orders are effectively moving the state towards reopening.

Believes the economy should be reopened as quickly as possible.

Opposes the "sit there and be quiet" comment made by a police officer.

Believes the increase in jail deaths is due to more drug usage and the pandemic.

Believes in addressing public safety concerns, including jail conditions and deaths.

Believes Tarrant County’s jail conditions are acceptable, saying, "We have a great jail."

Supports Simmons for questioning a taxpayer-funded contract.

Believes in the need for unity among county commissioners to address public safety issues, such as the recent jail death of Anthony Johnson Jr.

Believes in holding the court to high standards of conduct and transparency, and supports public attendance and scrutiny of court meetings.

Believes in improving public safety measures, especially for vulnerable populations, as highlighted by the investigation of a case where a 27-year-old intellectually disabled man was stabbed over 90 times in a foster care home.

Supports transparency in reporting information such as name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employers of individuals to the Texas Ethics Commission.

Believes in the importance of community dialogue to address public safety issues, saying, “Is there any way that we can come together? Sit down instead of us fighting each other. We can’t get anything done.”

Believes that the lack of supervision in group homes poses a public safety risk, citing instances where Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR) has responded to police calls about unattended facilities.

As vice chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, helped oversee criminal penalties and revisions to the state’s penal code.

Believes Tarrant County’s jail is "one of the best in the country" and defended its conditions, saying it received five national awards from the American Jail Association last year.

As a state representative, Turner introduced measures to improve oversight of taxpayer-funded group and host homes in response to WFAA’s 2018 series highlighting issues in the system.

Supports House Democrats' efforts to address COVID-19 and keep the public informed through updates and news clips.

Plans to advocate for a bipartisan approach in the Republican-controlled House to address health care issues.

Believes the Texas abortion law is too strict, resulting in only five abortions per month compared to 4,400 before Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Believes in strict abortion laws, supporting criminalization of abortion with severe penalties.

Opposes abortion and supports criminal penalties for illegal abortions and selling body parts of aborted children.

Believes there is a divide in opinions on abortion laws, with 35% of Republicans wanting no changes, 26% wanting stricter laws, and 26% wanting less strict laws. Among Democrats, 68% want state abortion laws loosened.

Believes the abortion law's civil enforcement mechanism, allowing lawsuits against those performing or aiding abortions, creates confusion among doctors regarding medical emergency exceptions.

Believes abortion policies are not a priority, noting they were not among the top eight legislative priorities at the 2023 Texas GOP convention.

Believes Texas abortion laws are too strict, saying, “our only thing that we can offer [a woman with a healthy pregnancy but a nonviable fetus] are recommendations of where else to go besides Texas.”

Supports criminal penalties for abortion, saying "the same laws that protect you and me, born people, should also protect preborn people."

Supports extending civil penalties to internet providers and credit card processors to restrict access to abortion sites and medications.

Supports the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and its mission for fairness and opportunity for all Americans.

Supports HB 3, which addresses public education.

Supports the school finance measure passed during the 86th session of the Legislature, which allocates more funds to schools.

Supports transparency in student conduct by requiring college transcript notations for students ineligible to re-enroll due to serious code of conduct violations.

Supports addressing education as an emergency item for the Legislature.

Believes in reversing cuts to public schools.

Believes in supporting teachers and families by providing essential resources for the new school year, including school supplies, health screenings, backpacks, and shoes.

Supports the Austin Independent School District.

Supports community engagement in education, as evidenced by attending the MISD Back to School Bash.

Supports career and technical education programs.

As a legislator, crafted and brokered the statewide teacher pay raise plan in 2019 and passed a measure ensuring it would remain in place two years later.

No registration is required for backpacks, school supplies, health services, and shoes, but families will need to check in to receive these items.

Believes Atmos Energy has failed to provide adequate natural gas service to House District 101 constituents.

Believes the rising cost of gas is contributing to a lack of staff.

Supports creating a revolving loan account for community projects and conservation to ensure adequate water supplies.

Turner filed legislation to ensure heating systems remain operational.

Believes in addressing energy loss and ensuring efficient energy management.

Supports providing information on proposed constitutional amendments to ensure voter approval for changes.

Believes Republicans intentionally divided minority voters to enhance their power, diminishing Latinos and African-Americans' ability to elect their preferred candidates.

Supports the committee holding hearings on proposed bills.

Opposes disrespectful behavior in public office meetings, as demonstrated by his comments to Commissioner Alisa Simmons during discussions about a contract with a political consultant and ballots.

Believes in allowing the House and Senate to consider bills, debate, and offer amendments on the House floor.

Believes in co-sponsoring bills to show support for legislation from the opposite chamber.

Believes in representing local communities, having served as a city council member for 11 years in multiple cities, and is now running for Congress to continue public service at the federal level.

Believes in transparency and understanding the legislative process, and provides information on how a bill becomes a law in Texas.

Believes obstruction is an important tool for Democrats, saying it has effectively killed bills related to voting, abortion rights, and vouchers.

Believes being the primary author of a bill means being "the original author and champion of the bill" and that being listed as the author of a bill does not mean the legislator "drafted and wrote the legislation themselves."

Supports the definition of a sponsor as a representative who carries and supports a bill that originated in the opposite chamber.

As of September 12, 2024, Chris Turner’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Chris Turner is a Texas State Representative for District 101. He previously served as the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2017 through 2022.

Chris Turner has served as a Texas State Representative and was the chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2017 through 2022. He is also the vice chair of the House Redistricting Committee and a member of the House Select Committee on Mental Health.

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