Texas Parent PAC Endorses Chris Turner For House District 96

ARLINGTON – The bipartisan Texas Parent PAC today announced its endorsement of Chris Turner for state representative in House District 96, which covers portions of Arlington, Fort Worth, Mansfield, and Burleson as well as Crowley, Kennedale, and Rendon.

“Chris Turner represents the mainstream views and interests of families in Tarrant County,” said Pam Meyercord of Dallas, a member of the Texas Parent PAC board of directors. “Unlike the incumbent, he will be a partner with public school parents and a true advocate for the needs of our children’s neighborhood schools.”

Meyercord said House District 96 is one of the most important races in the November 4 general election, and the statewide parent group believes Turner is clearly the better choice.

Texas Parent PAC was created in 2005 by parents who joined together to elect strong and effective legislative leaders who will stand up for children and parents and strengthen public education. In addition, a broad base of individuals and business leaders is supporting this grassroots campaign effort.

“It’s time for a change,” said Dinah Miller of the Texas Parent PAC board of directors. “Schoolchildren, parents, and taxpayers in House District 96 deserve a representative who will speak up for them, not someone like Bill Zedler who just plays ‘follow the leader.’”

Miller also asserted Zedler is “no friend of Texas public schools,” pointing out that he has opposed more education funding, supported lower teacher certification standards, cut textbook funding, and co-authored a private school voucher bill.

In 2005, Miller and Meyercord were among many PTA leaders who appeared at the Capitol and testified against Bill Zedler’s voucher bill, H.B. 1263. “Taxpayers could not afford the irresponsible voucher legislation Bill Zedler proposed at the Capitol, “ Miller said, pointing out that Zedler’s legislation could have taken away from public schools up to $600 million in the first two years. She said in the targeted school districts, H.B. 1263 would have provided a tax-funded tuition voucher to any prekindergarten-12th grade student who failed the TAKS test, was eligible for the free or reduced price lunch program, or was of limited English proficiency.
“In Austin, Chris Turner will be guided by his concern for families, taxpayers, and the economy, rather than an extremist ideological agenda,” Miller added.

Until January 2008, Turner held the position of district director in the office of Congressman Chet Edwards, the influential chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. As district director, Chris supervised three offices and a staff of 10 and oversaw all district operations, including constituent services, outreach, and special projects in the 12-county district. He worked on key local priorities such as transportation, water quality, job creation, programs for seniors and veterans, and state and federal government response to public safety emergencies.

Turner is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a bachelor’s degree in government. As a youth, he attended Saint Pius X Catholic School through eighth grade, learning the importance of faith and serving as an altar boy. He switched to public school in the ninth grade, graduating from Dallas’ Skyline High School. Active in Boy Scouts, he ultimately earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Turner and his wife, Lisa, have two children, and they attend St. Ann Catholic Church in Burleson.

Texas Parent PAC is endorsing a small and select number of Republican and Democratic legislative candidates statewide. The PAC describes its endorsed candidates as “men and women of integrity, open and responsive to parents, actively involved in their communities, and committed to investing in public education to achieve economic prosperity in Texas.”
Parents are encouraged to volunteer in the Chris Turner campaign, to donate money and in-kind services, and to vote and bring friends to the polls during the October 20-31 early voting period and on the November 4 election day.
For more information on Texas Parent PAC, visit www.txparentpac.com. To learn more about Chris Turner and his campaign, call 817-561-4900 or visit www.votechristurner.com.