External links
- Official website
- Konni Burton topics at The Texas Tribune
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Konni Burton | |
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| Member of the Texas Senate from the 10th district | |
| In office January 13, 2015 –January 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Wendy Davis |
| Succeeded by | Beverly Powell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kerrville,Texas,U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Phil |
| Children | 2 children,2 grandchildren |
| Residence(s) | Weatherford,Parker County,Texas |
| Alma mater | University of North Texas |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Website | konniburton |
Konni Lyn Burton [1] (born April 15,1963) [2] is an American businesswoman who is a Republican former member of the Texas State Senate for District 10. Backed by the Tea Party movement,Burton on January 13,2015,succeeded Wendy R. Davis of Fort Worth,who vacated the state Senate after her unsuccessful campaign as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in the 2014 Texas gubernatorial election. [3]
Burton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of North Texas. [4] Burton was hired by Olmsted-Kirk Paper Company after college as a sales rep,then started her own wedding consulting businesses;after adopting their first child,she became a stay-at-home-mom. In 2019,Burton founded The Texan,a statewide political news organization,based in Austin,Texas and dedicated to providing readers with fact-based news regarding issues,policies,elected officials,and campaigns.
Before running for office,Burton was a grassroots activist who worked to get conservative candidates elected to office at the local,state and federal level. She served as vice president of the NE Tarrant Tea Party. [5]
In the 2014 elections,Burton was "considered a rock star in Republican circles." [6] In the March 4,2014 Republican primary election (and the May 27,2014 primary runoff) for the state Senate,Burton was endorsed by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. [7] In the first round,Burton came in first place among the five-way Republican field,garnering 43% of the vote and advancing to a runoff against former State Representative Mark M. Shelton,who received 35 percent. [7] [8] In the primary runoff,Burton gained the Republican nomination;Burton received 17,435 votes (60%),while Shelton received 11,515 votes (40%). [9]
Burton then defeated the Democratic nominee,Libby Willis,who carried Wendy Davis's support,95,484 votes (53%) to 80,806 (45%),retaking the Senate seat for the Republicans. [6] [10] [11]
State Senate Tenure In the 84th legislative session Burton served on the Criminal Justice,Higher Education,Nominations committees,and served as Vice Chair for the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations committee. She served as Co-Chair on Advertising Public Notices.
In the 85th legislative session Burton served on the Criminal Justice,Cybersecurity Select,Employment Practices Select,Health and Human Services,Natural Resources and Economic Development committees and served as Vice Chair of the Administration committee.
A Rice University Baker Institute study of Texas Senate roll-call votes from January 2011 to May 2017 showed that Burton was the most conservative member of the Texas Senate. [12]
During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries,Burton was a staunch supporter of Ted Cruz. [13] [14]
Burton is an opponent of abortion. She supported legislation to defund Planned Parenthood by cutting off its Medicaid funds,even for non-abortion general healthcare services. [15] She opposed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt (which struck down Texas's restrictive abortion law as unconstitutional) saying that she was "extremely disappointed" in the ruling. [16] Burton took office in January 2015 wearing cowboy boots bearing the phrase "Stand for Life," a fashion statement mirrored after Wendy Davis' choice of pink tennis shoes during 2013's abortion bill filibuster. [17] [18]
Burton barred taxpayer-funded lobbyists (i.e.,lobbyists representing governmental entities) from her office,and supported legislation to ban governmental entities from hiring lobbyists. [19]
Burton has supported limitations on local control in Texas,saying that the state should "step in" to restrict municipalities from passing ordinances that regulate issues such as the phase-out of lightweight plastic bags and Uber. [20] Burton also opposes local ordinances banning texting while driving. [21]
Burton has introduced legislation in the Senate to abolish civil asset forfeiture in the state. [22] [23]
In November 2016,Burton introduced S.B. 242,which would amend state law to make a parent entitled to all of a school district's written records about their child's "general physical,psychological or emotional well-being" and provide that an attempt by a school employee to conceal or encourage a child to withhold information would be grounds for discipline. [24] [25] Burton introduced the bill in response to Fort Worth Independent School District guidelines (later rescinded) that sought to protect transgender students from being "outed" to their parents. [25] [26] The bill was condemned by LGBT advocates [27] such as Equality Texas, [25] [28] which issued a statement saying that "the legislation would essentially destroy protected communications between a student and an educator. The bill was also opposed by the Texas State Teachers Association and educators' groups,who said that the bill could harm trust between teachers and students and potentially force teachers to share "unsubstantiated rumors" with parents. [28]
On the other hand,supporters of Burton's bill have been quick to point out that the bill was created in response to a Fort Worth School District deciding to withhold information from parents (without any parental input). [29] Additionally,Burton herself has stressed on numerous occasions that the words "sexuality" and "gender" are not listed in the bill. Instead,the bill would require the release of written documentation of a students "general physical,psychological or emotional well-being",which many people believe is a parental right and therefore cannot be circumvented by local school districts. [29]
Burton lost her bid for reelection in the general election held on November 6,2018,to Democratic nominee Beverly Powell,a businesswoman and a former president of the Burleson Independent School District school board who carried the endorsement of the Dallas Morning News . Powell unseated Burton,148,544 (51.7 percent) to 138,695 (48.3 percent). [30]
Following the election,Burton founded The Texan –a statewide political news organization dedicated to providing readers with fact-based news regarding issues,policies,elected officials,and campaigns. [31]
Burton and her husband,Phil, [4] [18] have two daughters and two grandchildren. [32] Phil Burton is the executive vice president,north America of Simpson Strong-Tie. After living in Tarrant County for 36 years,the Burtons moved to Weatherford,Texas,Parker County in 2021.
The Burtons previously belonged to Calvary Lutheran Church in Richland Hills in Tarrant County;she is a former member of the church council. [33] The Burtons now attend St. John's Anglican Church in Fort Worth
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