<p><strong>A</strong> true veteran at the Indiana Statehouse is hanging up his hat after 31 years representing the folks of Johnson County and making decisions that impacted Hoosiers throughout the state.</p>
<p>Rep. Woody Burton’s journey took him from having a criminally convicted father and growing up in a poor neighborhood, to getting elected and working on legislation that capped property taxes and instituted requirements for teachers to be trained to help students with dyslexia, he said.</p>
<p>“I like helping people and that’s been a major part (of my career),” said Burton, R-Whiteland. “My brother helped get me elected. He was a congressman and showed me how to campaign. He said, ‘don’t ever forget this. Don’t ever forget who elected you. It’s not the big shots downtown, the voters elected you.’ I always remembered that. I kept my phone number public.”</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>Burton, 74, represents House District 58, which includes a large portion of northern Johnson County — most of Greenwood, New Whiteland and Whiteland.</p>
<p>Burton serves as the chair of the House Financial Institutions Committee and as a member of other committees, including the House Education Committee, House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedures.</p>
<p>Locally, Burton negotiated with a concrete supplier to get Tracy Road repaved after it had been damaged by truck traffic. When Franklin fell under his jurisdiction, he helped fund the repair of the Johnson County Fairgrounds. In Greenwood, he worked with Mayor Mark Myers to secure $1 million of federal funding to extend the municipal airport runway so small jets could land on it.</p>
<p>“I’ve had the honor to work with (Burton) on a couple different issues and he helped us out some. We wish him the best,” Myers said. “He’s put in a long time at the Statehouse and worked with the community. He will be missed.”</p>
<p>When Burton was first elected in 1988, he represented a much larger geographic area, which included most of Johnson County; the county’s population at the time was about half of what it is now. As the population grew, his district shrank, but he enjoyed those early years, he recalled Friday, remembering how involved people from all over the county were in the political process, even if they weren’t in office, he said.</p>
<p>“People during that time were more involved in politics,” Burton said. “People went door-to-door and people felt like they were part of the system of government. People wanted to get involved and help.”</p>
<p>At the state level, Burton has helped push for property tax relief and supported legislation that allowed voters to permanently cap property taxes by passing a constitutional amendment. He’s also worked on legislation to establish bullying prevention programs in schools, increase accountability in the child welfare system and give Hoosiers the option to have an “In God We Trust” license plate with no extra cost.</p>
<p>When talking with people he disagreed with politically, he always tried to keep an open mind, he said.</p>
<p>In one instance, Burton didn’t think the state should fund a center for the LGBTQ community at Indiana University, but said he was open to meeting gay students there and hearing what they had to say.</p>
<p>“They took me to a room with 20 gay people there, good people,” Burton said. “They talked about how people beat them because they were gay or would defecate on their front porch. They said, ‘we’re not looking for anything special. We just want to be left alone.’ It was a real eye-opening experience. I have an obligation to listen to all sides of an argument. Those are always hot-button issues.”</p>
<p>Burton maintained that open mind and a transparent approach to local issues, Whiteland Town Manager Norm Gabehart said.</p>
<p>“I appreciate his time and tenure as state representative, and we always had a good working relationship,” Gabehart said. “He was open to listening to concerns and questions, and he’s a strong representative of our county.”</p>
<p>Burton’s not done yet. He will return to the Statehouse in January for his final legislative session.</p>
<p>Before he leaves office, he wants to pass a bill that would make it so that gun store owners are required to lock their guns in safes, an issue he became passionate about after 33 guns were stolen from a New Whiteland dealership earlier this year, he said.</p>
<p>Burton would also like to see legislation that will bring down the cost of healthcare for Hoosiers, who pay more out of pocket for medical costs than people in neighboring states, he said.</p>
<p>Next November, a new representative will be elected to represent the people of northern Johnson County.</p>
<p>“Be accessible to people; it’s your job to represent people,” Burton said. “Don’t forget who got you there. It’s not lobbyists, but people who elected you. It keeps you grounded.</p>
<p>It’s easy to be a big shot politician, but we’re all human beings. The next thing is, don’t think this is some gravy job. It’s hard work representing 6.7 million people and making decisions about anything you can think of, from funding for education to gay marriage to abortion … You have to be receptive to all parties.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="The Burton File" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Name: Woody Burton</p>
<p>Age: 74</p>
<p>Party: Republican</p>
<p>Residence: Whiteland</p>
<p>Family: Wife, Volly; three adult children; six grandchildren</p>
<p>Education: Graduated from Arsenal Technical High School, Indianapolis</p>
<p>Work: Realtor at Carpenter Realtors</p>
<p>Political experience: Member of the Indiana House of Representatives since 1988; member of the Johnson County Council from 1980-84</p>
<p>Memberships: Attends Greenwood Christian Church, National Association of Realtors, Indianapolis Board of Realtors, Greenwood Masonic Lodge, Greenwood Chamber of Commerce and involved in the Masonic Lodge, Murat and Franklin Shrine Clubs and Scottish Rite, 33rd degree</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
