Richard Burford

Richard Terry Burford, known as Richie Burford (born August 19, 1946), is a beef and dairy farmer from Stonewall, Louisiana, who is a Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 7, which encompasses southern Caddo, DeSoto, and Sabine parishes in the northwestern portion of the state. Burford is the first Republican to represent DeSoto Parish in the state legislature since Reconstruction.^[1]

In 2015, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Louisiana State Senate in District 38 to succeed the term-limited Republican Sherri Smith Cheek Buffington. A second Republican defeated in the Senate race was the conservative Cloyce Clark, who had vowed "New Conservative Leadership" had he been elected.^[2]

Political life

Prior to his legislative service, which began on January 14, 2008, Burford was one of eleven members of the DeSoto Parish Police Jury (the parish governing council), having represented District 3 since 1996. He is a member of the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce. ^[3]

As a legislator, Burford pledged to support Blueprint Louisiana, a group which proposes reforms in the way Louisiana conducts its state government and promotes high technology and economic development. It is chaired by former State Representative Sean Reilly, an officer of Lamar Advertising Company in Baton Rouge.^[4]

2007 election

In the general election held on November 17, 2007, Burford defeated Democrat Kenny Ray Cox of Mansfield, 4,993 (63 percent) to 2,990 (37 percent) to win the House seat.^[5] In October 20 jungle primary, Burford and Cox led three other candidates, Republican Dennis Freeman, the since deceased mayor of Logansport in DeSoto Parish, and Democrats Hilda Fair Rives and John G. Russell, a bank executive.^[6] Burford succeeded term-limited Democrat Beverly G. Bruce, who was first elected in District 7 in 1995, when she defeated the Republican Tommy Gene Armstrong, 7,027 (53 percent) to 62,35 (47 percent). Bruce ran without opposition in both 1999 and 2003.^[7]

In an interview with the Shreveport Times, Burford cited ethics as among his legislative priorities: "I am certainly interested in seeing a good ethics package passed [and] the completion of Interstate 49 [and] Highway 3276, a connector between U.S. Highway 171 and I-49 in the Stonewall area. Fiscal responsibility and priority spending are big issues with me."^[8]

2011 reelection

Burford easily won a second term in the House in the primary election held on October 22, 2011. He defeated the Democrat Cynthia "Cindy" Stephens Williams, 6,652 (68.9 percent) to 3,001 ballots (31.1 percent).^[9]

Democrat Kenny Cox, who lost to Burford in 2007, unseated Republican Representative Rick Nowlin of Natchitoches for the District 23 House seat in the general election held on November 19, 2011.^[9]

2015 state Senate race

In the state Senate primary, Burford led a four-candidate field for the seat with 9,566 votes (35.2 percent). Shreveport Democrat attorney John Milkovich, who resides in Keithville, trailed with 9,061 votes (33.3 percent). Cloyce Clark, finished in third place with 5,885 votes (21.6 percent). The Democrat Jemayel Warren received a critical 2,693 votes (9.9 percent).^[10]

Milkovich, who ran as a Conservative Democrat who opposes abortion and supports school prayer, then defeated Burford in the runoff contest, 15,665 votes (52.4 percent) to 14,206 (47.6 percent).^[11]

In the primary election held on March 5, 2016, Burford won the Senate District 38 seat on the Republican State Central Committee with 993 votes (88 percent). His lone opponent, Edward Austin Lazarus (born c. 1960) of Shreveport, received 135 votes (12 percent).^[12]

Legislative record

Burford's legislative ratings ranged from 78 to 95 percent from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. In 2012, he was rated 100 percent by the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2013 and 2014, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum scored him 90 and 100 percent, respectively. Louisiana Right to Life has scored him 100 percent for every year that he has been a legislator. In 2013 and 2014, the Louisiana Association of Educators rated him 8 and 33 percent, respectively.^[13]

In 2014, Burford co-sponsored the requirement that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics; the bill was approved by the full House, 88-5. In 2014, he voted against the extension of time for implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. He voted against the prohibition of the transportation of dogs in the beds of pick-up trucks while traveling on interstate highways; the measure passed the House, 53-34. He voted against the requirement that companies must give notice when they engage in hydraulic fracking. He did not vote on the repeal of the anti-sodomy laws. He voted for the establishment of surrogacy contracts. He voted against reducing the penalties for the possession of marijuana. He voted for lifetime concealed carry gun permits and supported concealed-carry privileges in restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages. He co-sponsored the prohibition against making information about gun permit holders a matter of public record. He voted in 2013 for an increase in judicial pay and supported the removal of the mandatory retirement age for judges.^[14]

In 2012, Burford voted against the prohibition of the use of telephones and other hand-held cellular devices while driving. The ban on using phones while driving nevertheless passed the House, 68-29. He voted for tax incentives for attracting a National Basketball Association team to Louisiana and supported state income tax deductions for individuals who contribute to scholarship funds. He voted to reduce the number of hours that polling locations remain open; Louisiana has traditionally had 14-hour polling days. He supported drug testing of certain welfare recipients; the bill passed the House, 65 to 26. He supported changes in the teacher tenure law. In 2011, he voted against parole eligibility for elderly inmates; the measure passed the House, 65-25. He opposed the permanent tax on cigarettes and voted for the establishment of a commission to develop a plan for ending the state income tax. He supported redistricting plans for the Louisiana State Senate and Louisiana's six seats in the United States House of Representatives. Burford opposed the anti-bullying measure for public schools; the disputed bill failed, 43 to 54.^[14]

References