Frankfort, Kentucky — Kentucky state Sen. Johnnie Turner was known for strongly supporting the coal industry and other causes in his Appalachian district. He died after getting hurt at home last month when he jumped off of a lawn mower and into an empty swimming pool. He was 76 years old.
Turner, a Republican from Harlan, was liked by both his voters and his coworkers because of the friendly way he talked. President Robert Stivers of the Kentucky Senate said in a statement Wednesday that Turner died Tuesday night after a “hard-fought battle” with injuries he got in the accident.
“Johnnie spent his whole life making other people better,” Stivers said. “He did this in the U.S. Army, as a member of the State House of Representatives and State Senate, and in his private law practice.” “At the heart of everything he did was his unwavering dedication to the people of eastern Kentucky, whom he loved calling “his people” and identified as his voters.
Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate, remembered running into Turner while he was in his home state of Kentucky to look at the damage from the floods that hit parts of eastern Kentucky.
“Johnnie was on the scene, knee-deep in mud, with his tools from home on his back, ready to help people in Letcher County,” McConnell said in a statement Wednesday. “That’s what he was: a good man who loved the mountains and the people who lived there.”
Damon Thayer, who is the majority floor leader in the Kentucky Senate, said Turner’s death was very sad.
Thayer said in an interview on Wednesday, “He was just an amazing mountain man who was kind, generous, and willing to support projects that were good for the whole state while also being a fierce advocate for his region.”
Turner pushed for pro-coal laws and other steps to improve his Appalachian district, which is made up of several counties in eastern Kentucky. Coal used to be a big part of the economy in eastern Kentucky, but over the last ten years, jobs have dropped sharply as power companies stopped buying coal because natural gas prices have gone down and environmental rules have become stricter.
Thayer said that Turner supported measures that would help the whole Bluegrass State, not just his own district. For example, Turner backed a bill a few years ago that would have banned high-stakes horse racing. That bill made sure that betting on historical racing machines that look like slots would be allowed. This is a good way for racetracks to make money. Turner’s area is very socially conservative, so it was a tough vote for her.
Thayer said, “He told me that he saw what happened to the coal industry in eastern Kentucky and didn’t want to see the same thing happen to another leading industry, in this case, the horse industry.” “That was very brave of him,” I said.
He was a member of the Kentucky House from 1999 to 2002. On Wednesday, David Osborne, the speaker of the House, said that Turner was an “ardent champion and passionate voice for eastern Kentucky.”
“We’re sad about his death, but we know that the people he helped will carry on his work,” Osborne said.
An attorney named Turner beat a Democrat with the same last name in the 2020 race for the state Senate. This year, Turner beat two opponents in the Republican spring primary.
The secretary of state’s office said Turner’s name will be on the general election vote because he died so close to the election. His only opponent in November, an independent, recently dropped out of the race. The secretary of state’s office said that write-in candidates have until Friday to file for the spot. If they don’t, the seat will have to be filled by a special election.
Ky.’s senate, which is mostly made up of Republicans, will start its 2025 session in January. From now until then, lawmakers are getting ready for next year’s 30-day session by meeting in interim committees to look into a wide range of topics.
Source: Kentucky Lawmaker Dies Weeks After Tragic Accident Involving Mower and Empty Pool
