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Ewing Democrats
| Responsive Leadership |
Did you know? Senator Turner became the first woman and first African-American to be elected as Senate President Pro Tempore. |
| Follow Shirley |
Shirley K. Turner
and a member of the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism
& Historic Preservation Committee.
In addition to her official committee assignments, Senator Turner
also serves as a member of several boards, organizations, and
associations. Among her affiliations, she serves on the Task Force
on Child Abuse and Neglect, the State Council for Adult Literacy
Education Services, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Leadership
Council,the State Museum Board of Trustees, and the Coretta Scott
King Humanitarian Group. Senator Turner is also the founding
member of the Women’s Legislative Caucus and a member of the
Legislative Black Caucus. Recently, she was appointed as a
Commissioner for the Education Commission of the States, a
national, nonpartisan interstate compact devoted to education, and
named to the Commission's Steering Committee.
Senator Turner has built a reputation as the conscience of the Senate
whose independent voice and sense of duty and integrity places
human needs above partisanship and politics. She has worked in a
bipartisan fashion to build a significant record of legislative
accomplishments, working to enhance the health, safety, and well-
being of New Jersey’s children, strengthen families, promote public
health, develop and support small businesses, and also fostering
economic safety, production and job growth. The breadth of
legislation she has sponsored reflects the needs and interests of her
diverse district, which includes Ewing, Hopewell, Lawrence, Pennington,
Princeton, Trenton, and will soon include East and West Amwell,
Lamberton, and West Windsor.
Among Senator Turner’s legislative accomplishments, she has created
laws to require that the health and safety of a child be the State’s
paramount concern in cases where a child is placed outside the
home; require criminal history checks of child care center employees,
and school employees and volunteers; establish procedures for the
placement of a minor child whose caretaker is incarcerated;
enhance school bus safety; provide more scholarship opportunities,
including allowing students to attend two-year and four-year state
colleges at no cost; establish nutrition standards and eye exams for
students; and promote mentoring and after-school programs for at-
risk youth. Senator Turner has been critical of the State’s practice of
placing at-risk children out of state and away from the support of
their families. As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Senator
Turner has overseen legislation which has improved education for
children in primary and secondary schools and helped to keep New
Jersey’s schools among the highest performing in the nation. She
has recently worked to expand school choice by permanently
establishing such a program in the Department of Education.
Senator Turner received national acclaim for her efforts to protect jobs
by preventing publicly-funded jobs from being outsourced to foreign
countries, setting the precedent for 21 other states that followed
Senator Turner’s lead. She has also established laws to provide
MicroCredit Business loans for women; mandate insurance coverage
of minimum hospital stays for mastectomies and child birth; and
protect consumers from identity theft, predatory lending, and
telemarketing calls. She also pioneered the legislation that
eventually established bars and restaurants as smoke-free. Senator
Turner has also worked to create increased opportunities
for affordable housing and homeownership.
Senator Turner was in the forefront of legislation to abolish the death
penalty and worked to create drug court programs statewide for first-
time, non-violent offenders. She has fought to reduce gun and gang
crimes and violence by establishing zero tolerance for illegal weapons
and ammunition sales and transfers. She has fought to reform unfair
and unaffordable motor vehicle surcharge laws, with a goal of
restoring drivers’ licenses and removing the barrier to employment.
Senator Turner has been a strong voice for government reform. She
was the prime sponsor of the legislation that created the clean
elections pilot programs and has been active in her support for other
ethics and election reforms. Her voting record consistently reflects
her efforts to reduce patronage and promote efficiency and
transparency in government spending. She is continuing the fight to
help reform New Jersey’s regressive property tax system and to
promote and encourage consolidation of school districts and
municipalities.
As a career educator, Senator Turner has been dedicated to New
Jersey’s youth, helping them to build bright futures. She is a former
Trenton public school teacher, a former EOF counselor to
disadvantaged youth who are first-generation college students, and a
former counselor for the New Jersey Youth Corps to help prepare
youth for employment. She currently works at Rider University where
she is an Associate Director of Career Services advising college
students and alumni in their career plans. She received a B.S. in
education from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State
College) and a M.A. in guidance and counseling from Rider
University. She earned doctoral credits in education at Rutgers
University. Senator Turner is a former Mercer County Freeholder and
Freeholder vice president. She and her husband Donald have two
children, daughter, Jacqueline and son-in-law Gregory and son, Chet
and daughter-in-law Tonia. They have five grandchildren, DeRon,
Briana, Bryson, Faith, and Chandler.
& Historic Preservation Committee.
In addition to her official committee assignments, Senator Turner
also serves as a member of several boards, organizations, and
associations. Among her affiliations, she serves on the Task Force
on Child Abuse and Neglect, the State Council for Adult Literacy
Education Services, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Leadership
Council,the State Museum Board of Trustees, and the Coretta Scott
King Humanitarian Group. Senator Turner is also the founding
member of the Women’s Legislative Caucus and a member of the
Legislative Black Caucus. Recently, she was appointed as a
Commissioner for the Education Commission of the States, a
national, nonpartisan interstate compact devoted to education, and
named to the Commission's Steering Committee.
Senator Turner has built a reputation as the conscience of the Senate
whose independent voice and sense of duty and integrity places
human needs above partisanship and politics. She has worked in a
bipartisan fashion to build a significant record of legislative
accomplishments, working to enhance the health, safety, and well-
being of New Jersey’s children, strengthen families, promote public
health, develop and support small businesses, and also fostering
economic safety, production and job growth. The breadth of
legislation she has sponsored reflects the needs and interests of her
diverse district, which includes Ewing, Hopewell, Lawrence, Pennington,
Princeton, Trenton, and will soon include East and West Amwell,
Lamberton, and West Windsor.
Among Senator Turner’s legislative accomplishments, she has created
laws to require that the health and safety of a child be the State’s
paramount concern in cases where a child is placed outside the
home; require criminal history checks of child care center employees,
and school employees and volunteers; establish procedures for the
placement of a minor child whose caretaker is incarcerated;
enhance school bus safety; provide more scholarship opportunities,
including allowing students to attend two-year and four-year state
colleges at no cost; establish nutrition standards and eye exams for
students; and promote mentoring and after-school programs for at-
risk youth. Senator Turner has been critical of the State’s practice of
placing at-risk children out of state and away from the support of
their families. As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Senator
Turner has overseen legislation which has improved education for
children in primary and secondary schools and helped to keep New
Jersey’s schools among the highest performing in the nation. She
has recently worked to expand school choice by permanently
establishing such a program in the Department of Education.
Senator Turner received national acclaim for her efforts to protect jobs
by preventing publicly-funded jobs from being outsourced to foreign
countries, setting the precedent for 21 other states that followed
Senator Turner’s lead. She has also established laws to provide
MicroCredit Business loans for women; mandate insurance coverage
of minimum hospital stays for mastectomies and child birth; and
protect consumers from identity theft, predatory lending, and
telemarketing calls. She also pioneered the legislation that
eventually established bars and restaurants as smoke-free. Senator
Turner has also worked to create increased opportunities
for affordable housing and homeownership.
Senator Turner was in the forefront of legislation to abolish the death
penalty and worked to create drug court programs statewide for first-
time, non-violent offenders. She has fought to reduce gun and gang
crimes and violence by establishing zero tolerance for illegal weapons
and ammunition sales and transfers. She has fought to reform unfair
and unaffordable motor vehicle surcharge laws, with a goal of
restoring drivers’ licenses and removing the barrier to employment.
Senator Turner has been a strong voice for government reform. She
was the prime sponsor of the legislation that created the clean
elections pilot programs and has been active in her support for other
ethics and election reforms. Her voting record consistently reflects
her efforts to reduce patronage and promote efficiency and
transparency in government spending. She is continuing the fight to
help reform New Jersey’s regressive property tax system and to
promote and encourage consolidation of school districts and
municipalities.
As a career educator, Senator Turner has been dedicated to New
Jersey’s youth, helping them to build bright futures. She is a former
Trenton public school teacher, a former EOF counselor to
disadvantaged youth who are first-generation college students, and a
former counselor for the New Jersey Youth Corps to help prepare
youth for employment. She currently works at Rider University where
she is an Associate Director of Career Services advising college
students and alumni in their career plans. She received a B.S. in
education from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State
College) and a M.A. in guidance and counseling from Rider
University. She earned doctoral credits in education at Rutgers
University. Senator Turner is a former Mercer County Freeholder and
Freeholder vice president. She and her husband Donald have two
children, daughter, Jacqueline and son-in-law Gregory and son, Chet
and daughter-in-law Tonia. They have five grandchildren, DeRon,
Briana, Bryson, Faith, and Chandler.
Senator Turner is serving her fourth term in
the New Jersey Senate. Prior to
serving in the Senate, Shirley served two
terms in the Assembly in 1993 and 1995.
During the 208th Legislature, Senator
Turner became the first woman and first
African-American to be elected as Senate
President Pro Tempore. She is a member
of the Senate Education Committee
the New Jersey Senate. Prior to
serving in the Senate, Shirley served two
terms in the Assembly in 1993 and 1995.
During the 208th Legislature, Senator
Turner became the first woman and first
African-American to be elected as Senate
President Pro Tempore. She is a member
of the Senate Education Committee
for State Senate
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