Terry Clark Burton (born January 31, 1956) is an American politician. He is a Republican and former

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, representing District 31. He also served as President Pro Tempore. He was arrested for drunk driving and did not file for reelection to the Senate.

Early life

Terry Clark Burton was born on January 31, 1956, in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Career

Burton serves as a Republican member of the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol ...

, representing District 31, which includes parts of Lauderdale County,

Newton County Newton County is the name of six counties in the United States. All except for Arkansas (and perhaps Mississippi) are named for Sgt. John Newton, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War who became a fictionalized hero. Many counties share a bo ...

Scott County, Mississippi Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,264. Its county seat is Forest. The county is named for Abram M. Scott, the Governor of Mississippi from 1832 to 1833. Geography A ...

. Since January 2016, he has also served as President Pro Tempore of the Mississippi Senate. In February 2015, he proposed a bill to lower the concealed carry fees in Mississippi from $100 to $80. Burton is a

York Rite The York Rite, sometimes referred to as the American Rite, is one of several Rites of Freemasonry. It is named for, but not practiced in York, Yorkshire, England. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic ...

Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...

and a

Shriner Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

. On December 19, 2018, Burton was arrested for suspicion of

driving under the influence Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...

for the third time in less than 5 years. He stated he would remain as the Mississippi State Senate President Pro Tempore. However, he resigned from his role and stated he would retire at the end of the year.

Personal life

Burton is married to Darleen Allday, with whom he has two children. They reside in Newton, Mississippi. He is a member of the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

References

1956 births 21st-century American politicians American Freemasons Living people Republican Party Mississippi state senators People from Philadelphia, Mississippi Presidents pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate {{Mississippi-politician-stub