Judy Burges
{{Short description|American politician (born 1943)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Judy B. Burges
| image =
| state_house = Arizona
| district = 1st
| term_start = January 11, 2021
| term_end = January 9, 2023
| preceded = Noel W. Campbell
| succeeded = Selina Bliss
| state_senate1 = Arizona
| district1 = 22nd
|term_start1 = January 23, 2012
|term_end1 = January 14, 2019
|predecessor1 = Scott Bundgaard
|successor1 = David Livingston
| state_house2 = Arizona
| district2 = 4th
|term_start2 = 2005
|term_end2 = January 23, 2012
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|07|21}}
|birth_place = La Junta, Colorado, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|alma_mater = University of Phoenix
}}
Judy M. Burges (born July 21, 1943) is a former Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 1, and a former member of the Arizona State Senate representing District 22. She was first appointed to the State Senate by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on January 23, 2012.
Burges previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 4, from 2005 until her appointment to the State Senate. Senator Burges chaired the Government, Joint Legislative Audit, and Appropriations Committees while serving in the House and served as vice chair for numerous other committees.
Education
Senator Burges graduated from Yavapai College with an AA in General Studies (1984); the for-profit, open enrollment, University of Phoenix with a BA in management (1993) and an MBA in Business Administration (1996).
Work
Burges' professional experience includes working as an Account Clerk with the Yavapai County Government from 1984 to 1996 and Budget Coordinator with the Cyprus Bagdad Copper Company from 1976 to 1981.
Controversies
In 2011, Burges was joined by 30 Arizona Republican lawmakers as co-sponsors of HB 2544, a bill that required presidential candidates to prove that they were born in the United States, are over 35 and have resided in the United States for at least 14 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/birther-bill-back-arizona-rep-judy-burges-pitches-birth-certificate-legislation-article-1.155202|title='Birther Bill' back in Arizona; Rep. Judy Burges pitches birth certificate legislation again|first=Michael|last=Sheridan|website=nydailynews.com|access-date=Apr 14, 2019}} This action dovetailed with the birther movement started in 2008 repudiating Barack Obama's natural citizenship. The measure ultimately failed to pass.
In 2013, Burges fought against US involvement with the United Nations initiative, Agenda 21, the Rio declaration of environmental principles, claiming that she would "certainly call it communism."{{Cite web|url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/judy-burges-republican-state-senator-claims-agenda-21-will-turn-arizona-into-commie-land-6655547|title=Judy Burges, Republican State Senator, Claims Agenda 21 Will Turn Arizona Into Commie-Land|first=Matthew|last=Hendley|date=Feb 19, 2013|website=Phoenix New Times|access-date=Apr 14, 2019}} She further falsely claimed that Brazil is a communist nation.
In April 2014, Burges traveled to Nevada and showed support for rancher Cliven Bundy, who was resisting a cattle round-up after refusing to pay grazing fees since 1993.{{cite news|last=Shanholtzer|first=Patricia|title=Burges and Livingston: too extreme for Arizona|url=http://www.yourwestvalley.com/opinion/article_c6cfe582-dc5d-11e3-84f7-001a4bcf887a.html|access-date=16 May 2014|newspaper=Your West Valley|date=15 May 2014}}{{cite news|last=Roberts|first=Laurie|title=Arizona legislators see Cliven Bundy as a hero?|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/laurie-roberts/2014/04/19/bundy-livingston/7873813/|access-date=16 May 2014|newspaper=AZcentral|date=19 April 2014|quote=Joining Livingston were Republican Reps. Kelly Townsend of Mesa and Bob Thorpe of Flagstaff and Sens. Kelli Ward of Lake Havasu City and Judy Burges of Sun City West. U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar was also there ... [Burges] wanted the Bundys to know they aren't alone. Burges stated that, "I stand with them."}} "I stand with them," Burges said of the Bundy family.
In 2017 Burges had an email exchange with an elderly constituent that was widely publicized.{{Cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2017/03/22/judy-burgese-calls-citizen-troll/99465122/|title=Roberts: Arizona senator calls citizen a WHAT?|website=azcentral|access-date=Apr 14, 2019}} The constituent was asking about HB 2404 that required petition gatherers in initiative campaigns be paid by the hour rather than by the signature. Within Burges response, she called the 82-year-old widow and longtime Scottsdale resident a "paid troll."
The American Conservative Union has given her a lifetime rating of 93%.
References
{{reflist}}
Sources
- [http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/28099 Project Vote Smart bio of Burges]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burges, Judy}}
Category:Republican Party Arizona state senators
Category:People from La Junta, Colorado
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Women state legislators in Arizona
Category:Republican Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives
Category:Yavapai College alumni
Category:University of Phoenix alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Arizona State Legislature