Six-Term State Rep. Bows Out
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana State Representative P. Eric Turner (R-32) has announced he will not serve another term in office. The Cicero Republican says he will remain on the fall ballot, but says he will resign after the election. September 19, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — State Representative P. Eric Turner announced today he will not serve in the next term of the Indiana General Assembly in order to pursue opportunities in ministry with the Atlanta-based Christian organization, EQUIP. Turner plans to complete his current term and will remain on the ballot. He will resign his seat sometime after the election.
“It has been the honor of my life to represent constituents of my district in the Indiana House of Representatives,” said Turner. “I will forever treasure the opportunities I have had to make Indiana better. My wife, Cyndy, and I look forward to this new chapter in our lives, where we can share our skills and abilities with an outstanding Christian ministry, as well as enjoy time with our nine, soon-to-be 11 grandchildren,” said Turner.
Turner has represented Indiana’s 32nd House District for 24 years and serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore. He has served on the House Ways & Means Committee for the past 20 years, and has been a leading negotiator for House Republicans on the State Budget and State Tax Policy. He has chaired and served on the State Tax & Financing Policy Commission for several years. Turner’s long career has focused primarily on Tax & Fiscal policy where he worked to spur economic development in our state, as well as issues involving the family.
Rep. Turner was the author or co-author of:
-Capping property taxes for homeowners, farmers and businesses.
-Reducing the corporate tax, making Indiana one of the lowest in the U.S.
-Lowering the Personal Income Tax.
-Eliminating the Inventory Tax.
-Giving locals the ability to eliminate the Business Personal Property Tax on new investments.
-Eliminating the state’s inheritance tax, an effort Representative Turner led for nearly 20 years.
Turner also was the author of the highly-successful Tax Amnesty Plan that brought in $255 million to the State’s General Fund.
Turner will become an associate trainer with EQUIP where he will join other Christian businessmen and pastors in leadership training for pastors and laymen to the extended church throughout the world.
Turner and his wife are long-time financial supporters of EQUIP and earlier this year they spent a week with the Christian organization in Cyprus in May, teaching leadership to 60 Christian pastors and leaders from 12 Middle East Muslim countries.
“Cyndy and I debated earlier in the year whether to run for one more term, even though we knew the potential ministry opportunity with EQUIP was around the corner,” said Turner.
“After traveling to Cyprus with EQUIP in May and getting our feet wet teaching leadership, we became aware of so many immediate training needs around the world and we are very ready to pursue this new opportunity. I will be 63 in December and while we still have our health, my wife and I have longed to serve with a Christian ministry. The potential to serve with EQUIP is exactly where we are being led in our service to the Lord,” said Turner.
EQUIP was founded by recognized leadership expert and NY Times best-selling author, John C. Maxwell, and has taught leadership principles to over 6 million pastors and laymen in 192 countries in Christian churches worldwide.
Turner says he is very thankful for the privilege to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore for six years.
“I will always value and cherish the many friendships I have established with people from all throughout my district, with former and current legislative colleagues, individuals in the Executive Branch, and with those who represent companies and organizations in the Statehouse hallways,” said Turner.
“I very much appreciate serving, most recently with, and under, strong and effective Governors, Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence,” as well as with former Governors, Bob Orr, Evan Bayh, Frank O’Bannon and Joe Kernan.
Turner authored many other important pieces of legislation during his long career.
Among his proudest legislative achievements is a law requiring all of the state’s correctional facilities to offer Faith & Character Based Prison Dorms. The results are remarkable – a drop in recidivism from 39% to 15% for those having gone through the 16-month PLUS program.
Turner also authored the Statewide Smoking Ban and was named Legislator of the Year by the Indiana State Medical Association.
He authored Indiana’s Transparency Legislation for state and local governments, and worked with then Auditor Tim Berry, to make it the strongest in the nation.
Turner helped to establish Indiana’s 529 plan for college savings. His Pro Life legislation in 2011 made Indiana the strongest Pro Life state in the country and he was named Legislator of the Year by the Indiana Family Institute. Since 2005, he has also been the author of the Marriage Amendment to add traditional marriage of one man and one woman to the Indiana Constitution.
Turner worked across the aisle, with former colleague Representative Bill Crawford, to author and champion expungement legislation for offenders who have committed non-sexual and non-violent crimes, and have had eight years without any further convictions. He was awarded the Trailblazer Award at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. / Robert Kennedy commemoration for his work on expungement for ex-offenders.
His 1985 legislation banned Happy Hours in Indiana, to curb drunk driving and his bill was recognized by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine as ‘the best’ new idea to come from the Indiana General Assembly.
Turner is the second House Republican member to announce he will not continue in the House of Representatives in order to pursue other opportunities. Representative Steve Braun announced last month he will become Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. Braun will also remain on the ballot, and resign following the election.
Indiana law prevents a candidate from getting off the ballot after July 15. Provided they are re-elected, a Republican Caucus of precinct committeemen will replace the two retiring legislators after the election.
Source: The Office of State Representative P. Eric Turner