Following an alleged incident involving personal investment in a proposed bill, Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, announced last Friday he will not select Turner as Speaker Pro Tem in the upcoming term.
Last spring, the Indiana General Assembly voted to pass a moratorium on nursing home construction.
Turner was questioned by the House of Representatives Ethics Committee in April about his involvement in working to kill the bill.
Turner’s son, Zeke Turner, is the CEO of Mainstreet Property Group , a Carmel-based company that develops senior care facilities.
Turner has investments in the company and could have been financially affected if the bill passed, which it did.
Turner did not vote on the bill in question but was reprimanded for being involved in discussion.
“Given the recently disclosed magnitude of Rep. Turner’s personal and family financial interest in the outcome of the nursing home moratorium debate, any involvement in the decision-making process, whether in public debate or through private discussions with fellow elected officials, presented an irreconcilable conflict,” Bosma said in a release last Friday. “Rep. Turner should have recused himself entirely from influencing the matter in any way given the personal financial stake involved.”
In his interrogation by the ethics committee, Turner said his involvement was consistent with House ethics rules, describing his discussion as offering his “particular expertise on the nursing home industry and the nursing home moratorium.”
Turner’s replacement will be appointed after the new session begins and Bosma is reelected as Speaker of the House through a caucus.
In his statement, urging Turner to step down from his position, Bosma said he plans to propose an ethics bill during the 2015 session.
A spokesperson for Bosma said details will be publicly announced at a later date.
Turner is running against Democrat Bob Ashley in the midterm election for the 32nd Congressional District seat.
