Justin Burr

Justin P. Burr
NC Representative Justin Burr
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 67th district
Assumed office
2009
Preceded by Ken R. Furr
Personal details
Born (1985-06-28) June 28, 1985
Wadesboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Residence Norwood, North Carolina
Occupation Bail Bondsman
Website www.justinburr.com

Justin P. Burr is serving his fifth two-year term as a representative from the 67th District in the North Carolina General Assembly. The 67th District includes all of Stanly County and a majority of Montgomery County. Burr, a Republican, resides in Norwood, North Carolina.[1]

Personal

Justin Burr was born on June 28, 1985, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. His father is Phil Burr of Burr Bail Bonds. In 2002, Burr interned for United States Senator Jesse Helms. In 2004, he interned for United States Senator Elizabeth Dole.[2]

In 2002, Burr was the Stanly County Coordinator for the Elizabeth Dole for United States Senate campaign. In 2007–2008, he was the Stanly County Chair for the Hayes for Congress campaign.[2]

Burr is a member of the National Rifle Association, the District Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the National, State and Regional Associations of REALTORS and the North Carolina Bail Agents Association. Burr is an Eagle Scout and attends West Albemarle Baptist Church.[2]

Burr briefly attended Stanly Community College and Campbell University but did not receive a degree.[3]

Business career

Burr is a third generation bail enforcement agent with his family's business, Burr Bail Bonds.[2]

He is also a licensed real estate broker and owner of Burr Realty, Inc.[2]

Legislative

Burr was elected to his first term in 2008, and was re-elected in 2010 and 2012. In the 2008 Republican primary runoff, Burr, then 22 years old, beat opponent Ken Furr, with 58 percent of the vote. At the age of 23 years, Burr became the youngest member of the North Carolina General Assembly.[4] During his first term, Burr served as the House Republican Freshman Leader.

Burr won his second election with 75% of the vote.[5] Burr was appointed to serve as a chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services. He also was appointed to serve as the Vice-Chair of the Election Committee, Health & Human Services Committee, the Health & Human Services Subcommittee on Mental Health, Judiciary Committee and the Redistricting Committee.[6]

Currently in his fifth term, Burr serves as vice-chair of the House Appropriations Committee, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Capital, chair of the Health Committee, and chair of the Judiciary IV Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services, Elections and Ethics Law Committee, State & Local Government I Committee, and the Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee.[7]

Due to his efforts in the legislature to improve mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities and substance abuse (MH/IDD/SA) services, on July 16, 2014, Burr received the NC Council of Community Programs 2014 State Representative Leadership Award.[8]

Burr has been criticized for interfering with local government in Stanly County by passing a bill to make the Stanly County School Board elections partisan, adding an amendment to the 2015–2016 budget forbidding Stanly Community College from opening a culinary school in downtown Albemarle, and interfering with the town of Norwood's plans to construct a new fire department.[9][10][11] Although Burr lost his home county of Stanly, he defeated Republican Lane O. Burris in the 2016 Republican primary by a thin margin of 242 votes, and will go on to face Democrat Carson Roger Snyder on November 8. On March 24, Burris endorsed Snyder. In the May 8, 2018 primaries, Burr lost his primary to challenger Wayne Sasser.

Political positions

Abortion

Burr has been described as a pro-life champion.[12][13] He is against women having abortions, and believes they should be illegal.[14] In 2015, he co-sponsored, voted for, and helped successfully pass legislation in North Carolina that imposes additional restrictions to a woman's constitutional right to abortion. The new requirements were fully implemented by January 2016, and include:

  • 72-hour waiting period after first appointment before a woman can have an abortion
  • A physician must report any abortion or miscarriage after the 16th week of pregnancy to the Department of Health and Human Services, along with the gestational age of the fetus, the measurements of the fetus, and a copy of an ultrasound image.
  • A physician must report any abortion or miscarriage after the 20th week of pregnancy, and the report must include documentation demonstrating that the procedure was a medical emergency
  • Physician must be certified in obstetrics or gynecology and possess "sufficient training" in abortion care
  • Amended the definition of "statutory rape" to include intercourse or a sexual act with an individual who is 15 years old or younger
  • Authorized child support payments to be made by electronic transmission
  • Established a "Maternal Mortality Committee" to review maternal deaths and develop recommendations for the prevention of future maternal deaths.[15]

Child Fatality Task Force

Burr has voted to get rid of the Child Fatality Task force, stating he believes that local task forces would be able to continue investigating child deaths.[16]

Environment

In 2014, Burr was given a 0% rating by Environment North Carolina.[17] Burr has voted to repeal a recycling program[18] and to repeal motor vehicle emissions inspections.[19]

Guns

Burr would like to expand the "right to carry" law in North Carolina.[20] Burr has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.[21]

LGBT rights

Burr has voted to ban gay marriage in North Carolina.[22] He has voted to allow officials to refuse marriage based on religious objections.[23] He has voted yes on legislation requiring people to use a bathroom that corresponds with their born biological gender.[21]

Penalty on protesters

In 2017, Burr voted to increase punishments for protesters who block roads or damage property. The bill included a requirement for local law enforcement to be given "directions to clear the roads" immediately whenever a gathering of greater than 10 people block traffic, as opposed to waiting for protesters to disperse peacefully before using force. This bill was in response to nationwide protests.[24] The bill has been criticized for "allowing drivers to legally run over protesters who block roads."[25]

Unions

Burr has supported anti-union legislation that would add the state's current "right to work" law to the constitution.[26] Burr has stated, "We do not want, I do not want to see employees, potential employees, have to give up a job because they're forced to contribute or join." At the time, forced unionization was already illegal in North Carolina. The legislation did not further protect against unionization, but made it more difficult to repeal the "right to work" law in the future.[27]

Honors

As a teenager, Burr was named the 2003 "Outstanding Teen Age Republican in the Nation" award, by the National Teen Age Republicans.[28] Five years later, as an adviser to the North Carolina Teen Age Republicans, Burr won the "Lillie Murdock Award" at the National Teen Age Republicans conference.[29] He still serves as the adviser to the North Carolina Teen Age Republicans.[30]

In 2013, Burr was selected as a 2013 GOPAC Emerging Leader. He was one of twenty Republicans in the nation to attend the Emerging Leaders Summit.[31]

Burr has been honored as a "Defender of Liberty" by the American Conservative Union for three years straight, in 2011, 2012 and 2013.[32]

In 2014, Burr was endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business [33] and the State Employees Association of North Carolina.[34]

In 2018, Burr was listed as a Champion of the Family in the NC Values Coalition scorecard.[35]

References

  1. ↑ "Vote Smart".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Justin Burr's Biography, Project Vote Smart".
  3. ↑ "Momgomery Herald Interview with Justin Burr".
  4. ↑ "Burr becomes youngest state lawmaker".
  5. ↑ "2010 Official General Election Results".
  6. ↑ "2011 Committee Assignments by Member" (PDF).
  7. ↑ webmasters, NC General Assembly. "North Carolina General Assembly - Representative Justin P. Burr (Rep) Committee Assignments (2017–2018 Session)". www.ncleg.net. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  8. ↑ "Rep. Justin Burr Receives the 2014 State Representative Leadership Award" (PDF).
  9. ↑ Editor, BY RITCHIE STARNES News. "Burr stalls Norwood fire department". Stanly News and Press. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  10. ↑ "Stanly College Restaurant Raises Ethics Concerns". www.carolinajournal.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  11. ↑ Editor, Ritchie Starnes, News. "Burr files bills for BOE recall, partisan elections". Stanly News and Press. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  12. ↑ "Facts, half-truths pepper NC House campaign fliers". Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  13. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  14. ↑ "Rhetorical Bullets Fly As House Committee OKs Abortion Bill". Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  15. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  16. ↑ WRAL (2013-06-10). "Child Fatality Task Force on chopping block :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  17. ↑ "Rating Group: Environment North Carolina - 2014 Positions - The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  18. ↑ "HB 169 - Repeals Recycling Program - Key Vote | The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  19. ↑ "HB 169 - Repeals Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Certain Counties - Key Vote | The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  20. ↑ "Issue Position: Protect and Expand Rights of Gun Owners | The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  21. 1 2 "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  22. ↑ Press, Associated (2010-11-11). "Conservatives Hoping For Gay Marraige Ban". WCTI. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  23. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  24. ↑ "'Economic terrorism' bill would toughen penalties on protesters who block roads, damage property". charlotteobserver. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  25. ↑ Jensen, Scott (2017-05-04). "NC House Passed HB 330 - Allowing Drivers To Legally Drive Through Protesters Who Block Roads". Charlotte Stories. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  26. ↑ "Anti-union 'right to work' amendment gets NC House backing". charlotteobserver. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  27. ↑ Minnick, Beau (2017-04-20). "Bill would enshrine 'right-to-work' law in NC Constitution". WNCN. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  28. ↑ "Candidate Details".
  29. ↑ "TAR Awards 2008–2009". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22.
  30. ↑ "NC Teen Age Republicans". Archived from the original on 2014-02-08.
  31. ↑ "2013 Emerging Leaders". Archived from the original on 2014-02-12.
  32. ↑ "American Conservative Union". Archived from the original on 2014-02-09.
  33. ↑ "NFIB Endorses Candidates in 35 Legislative Races". Archived from the original on 2014-09-24.
  34. ↑ "State Employee PAC Endorses Bipartisan Slate of Candidates". Archived from the original on 2014-11-08.
  35. ↑ "NC Values Coalition Legislative Scorecard". Retrieved April 23, 2018.
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