Reared on a small farm in southwestern Johnson County near the Brazos River and the Bosque County line, Burns attended public schools in Cleburne and graduated in 1990 from Cleburne High School. Though he initially attended Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University in College Station, he transferred to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, from which he graduated in 1994.
They have three children. After college, Burns worked for the Texas Grain and Feed Association until he was hired as a legislative analyst by Republican since former State Representatives Arlene Wohlgemuth of Burleson and Gary Walker of Plains during the 74th legislative session in 1995. Rick Perry, then the elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner, added Burns to his staff
He was promoted to the position of coordinator for special issues in the department"s Intergovernmental Affairs Division.
Burns was a department inspector with duties over crop and seed certification, weights and measures compliance, and enforcement of pest and plant quarantine laws. These duties encompassed a ten-county jurisdiction, including Johnson and Bosque counties.
Prior to joining the legislature, Burns was vice president of the trustees of the Cleburne Independent School District. His family cattle ranch, which he still maintains in addition to his investment business, is located southwest of Cleburne.
In the March 4, 2014 primary election to select a nominee to succeed State Representative Rob Orr, who retired after ten years in the position, Philip Richard Eby (born 1984) of Clifton led a four-candidate field with 5,442 votes (401 percent).
Burns finished in second place with 4,117 (303 percent). Two other candidates, Henry Walter Teich of Cresson, and Curtis Lyndon Laird (born 1959) of Cleburne, held the remaining but critical 29.6 percent of the ballots cast.With Orr"s endorsement, Burns then defeated Eby in the May 27 runoff election, 5,142 (534 percent) to 4,485 (466 percent).In the general election on November 4, 2014, Burns prevailed in the heavily Republican district over the Democrat Greg Allen Kauffman (born 1954) of Crowley, 26,866 (804 percent) to 6,532 (195 percent).
The Bible is the only authoritative source of God's truth and any view that cannot be directly tied to a scriptural reference is generally considered to be based on human traditions rather than God's leading.
God, in His permissive will, may allow political leaders, both in biblical times and the present day, to enact policies that are opposed to His revealed will.
To develop a close relationship with God could be done through many avenues, namely, reading the Bible, praying, praising, worshiping, and telling others of the Gospel.
They are members of the First Baptist Church of Cleburne. He is a former president of the Farm Bureau of Johnson County, a fire commissioner, and a member of the Johnson County Economic Development Commission.
