A Democrat, Burnett was first elected to the state legislature at age 28 in 1970, representing a district that included Fentress, Overton and Morgan counties on the Cumberland Plateau. After taking office in 1971, Burnett became a protégé of Ned McWherter, who was then house speaker. He soon assumed the role of floor leader for the Democrats during the governorship of Ray Blanton and later became house majority leader during the governorships of Lamar Alexander and Ned McWherter. As a politician, Burnett was known for his oratorical skill, persuasiveness, sense of humor, and effectiveness at working across party lines to achieve results. Some state political observers thought he could become governor. He is given much of the credit for winning passage of major education legislation proposed by Governor Alexander, nursing home reforms, the Tennessee Sentencing Commission Act, and tort reform. Among the successful legislation that he sponsored were laws mandating use of seatbelts and limiting the nighttime hours of work for teenage students.
In 1991, Burnett was convicted as a result of the Operation Rocky Top investigation by the FBI into corruption in the Tennessee General Assembly. He was convicted again in August 1990 on nine counts for his involvement in an illegal bingogambling operation. One of his convictions was for defrauding a man he had met in prison and inducing him to invest $48,000 in the gambling operation. After his conviction, he was forced to end his campaign for re-election to an 11th term in the fall of 1990, and went to work as a car dealer during the appeals process.
Later years
Burnett received a five-year prison sentence for his Operation Rocky Top conviction, and served 16 months before being released to a halfway house in August 1992. After six months in the halfway house, he began a new career as a talk radio commentator on Teddy Bart's Roundtable program in Nashville. As a convicted felon, Burnett lost his law license and could not seek public office again. However, he succeeded in getting the law license restored in 2003 and became a lobbyist in the General Assembly in his final years, although health problems, including severe diabetes, limited his physical activity. Burnett's career also included stints as a cattle rancher, oil prospector, chicken farmer, and seller of fireworks. He is credited with helping to establish the Highway 127 Corridor Sale, which has been called "the world's largest flea market."
Death
Burnett died September 17, 2009, in a hospital in Nashville. His funeral was September 20, 2009, in the Fentress County community of Banner Springs. His remains were transported in a mule-drawn carriage to Springs Chapel Cemetery for burial.
