Wikipedia

Billy McKinney (politician)

For other people named William McKinney, see William McKinney (disambiguation).

James Edward "Billy" McKinney (February 23, 1927 – July 15, 2010) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. McKinney served as a Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1973 until 2003. He was also the father of former Georgia congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney.

Billy McKinney
McKinney in a 1976 article
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 51st district
In office
January 11, 1993 – January 13, 2003
Preceded byThurbert Baker
Succeeded byNan Grogan Orrock
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 35th district
In office
January 1973 – January 11, 1993
Succeeded byTom Cauthorn
Personal details
Born
James Edward McKinney

(1927-02-23)February 23, 1927
Abbeville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedJuly 15, 2010(2010-07-15) (aged 83)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLeola Christion
Alma materClark College
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1945–1946

Early life

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McKinney was born in Abbeville in Wilcox County, Georgia. His mother, Ann Turner Lewis, was a jazz singer, and his father, who he reportedly only met once, was a saxophone player.[1] He attended Booker T. Washington High School and Clark College,[2] a historically black college. He became a decorated veteran of the United States Army. He was credited with integrating the Atlanta Police Department and spearheading the efforts of the Afro-American Police League.

McKinney was reportedly arrested in Florence, South Carolina, after returning from his military service and being on a railroad trip back to Georgia, due to him or one of his mates drinking from a segregated water fountain.[1][3][4]

Career

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McKinney served as a Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1973 until 2003. In 2008 he joined the Green Party and cast delegate votes for their presidential nominee.[citation needed]

In 1970, McKinney unsuccessfully ran for the Fulton County Commission, receiving 33.1 percent of the vote.[5]

In August 1972, prior to getting elected into office, McKinney filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia's property tax school funding, describing it as discriminatory and as violating the Equal Protection Clause.[6]

In 1974, McKinney successfully pushed through a bill that made carrying a gun without a license a felony; he stated, "We have lost our youth to Super Fly", referring to young people who "don't have respect for laws, for other people or for their parents".[7] In 1975, McKinney criticized gun control legislation, instead claiming that harsher sentences for crimes involving guns was needed and that police should focus more on those crimes.[8] In 1976, McKinney had intended to re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment, although he was asked not to by female lawmakers as the amendment had previously failed in the legislature.[9] In 1981, he acted as co-chairman of the campaign of Sidney Marcus for Mayor of Atlanta. Marcus was a prominent Jewish leader; his opponent was the well-known African-American politician Andrew Young. McKinney's choice antagonized much of the African-American community in Atlanta.[10] During a 1982 special general election,[11] McKinney unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate in Georgia's fifth congressional district;[12][13] he criticized the Reagan administration, claiming "His policies and programs are anti-people and anti-poor."[14] He received 13.7 percent of the vote.[11]

During the 1987 legislative session, according to The Atlanta Constitution, McKinney introduced a bill that would "legalize sodomy between men and women" and pushed legislation that would "allow health officials to examine a suspected AIDS victim under a court order."[15] He also introduced a bill that would allow individual counties to legalize bets on dog or horse racing.[16] In 1988, his daughter Cynthia, in contrast to herself, described McKinney as a "gay basher"; he denied the label, while also stating, "I simply have no respect for the gay community and I am repulsed by their lifestyle."[17]

Controversies

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McKinney was known as a politician who did not shy away from controversy. In 1976, it was reported that McKinney "had to be physically restrained" after he "threw a punch" at fellow representative J.C. Daugherty; the incident took place while they were discussing a welfare question in the proposed state budget. The day after, McKinney said they had apologized to each other.[18] In August 1993, gay rights advocate Annie Archbold accused McKinney of punching her in the mouth outside of the Atlanta City Council.[needs context] McKinney denied the accusation.[19][20] In December 1994, McKinney was fined $500 for insulting and threatening congressman Gary Franks, after Franks had testified on behalf of a group of white plaintiffs who had accused the 11th Congressional District in Georgia of being unfairly drawn in favor of black voters.[21] In 1995, Dan Lakly, a white state representative, accused McKinney of threatening him with a pocketknife during an argument; McKinney denied the allegation, and two other eyewitnesses denied seeing a knife.[22][23]

In October 1996, McKinney apologized and resigned from his daughter's congressional campaign after he had called her opponent a "racist Jew".[24]

His daughter Cynthia had a contentious relationship with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).[10] In 2002, when asked about his daughter using an old endorsement in her primary campaign, he said that the endorsement would not matter because "Jews have bought everybody. Jews. J-E-W-S."[25] In that 2002 election, McKinney lost his seat in the Georgia House of Representatives, and his daughter lost her congressional seat.

Death

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Billy McKinney died on July 15, 2010, at the age of 83 in his southwest Atlanta home after a long struggle with cancer. He was in hospice care. His wife Leola and friends were with him at the time of death.[26]

A portion of Interstate 285 is known in his honor as the "James E. "Billy" McKinney Highway" between I-20 in northwest Atlanta and I-75 near Cumberland Mall.[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b "McKinney battles health problems, controversy". The Atlanta Constitution. 2002-09-08. pp. C4. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  2. ^ "Brief Biographies of Aldermanic Candidates". The Atlanta Constitution. 1969-10-06. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  3. ^ "House honors World War II veterans". The Macon Telegraph. 2000-03-10. p. 23. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  4. ^ "Reapportionment battle touches nerves in South". Tampa Bay Times. 1991-08-30. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  5. ^ "Fulton Faces 2 Runoff Races". The Atlanta Constitution. 1970-09-11. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  6. ^ "Suit Challenges Property Tax". The Atlanta Constitution. 1972-08-09. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  7. ^ "House Okays Tougher Pistol-Packing Penalty". The Atlanta Constitution. 1974-02-06. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  8. ^ "McKinney Says Let Drunks Alone". The Atlanta Constitution. 1975-10-20. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  9. ^ "ERA Amendment Lost Issue in '76". The Columbus Ledger. 1976-02-15. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  10. ^ a b Nigut, Bill (November 5, 1999). "Deconstructing Cynthia McKinney". Jewish Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Election". The Macon Telegraph. 1982-12-01. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  12. ^ "Half of Black Caucus endorses McKinney". The Atlanta Constitution. 1982-09-28. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  13. ^ "Candidates fear apathy in 2 congressional races". The Macon News. 1982-11-29. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  14. ^ "Associations Rally For Billy McKinney At Dinner Meeting". The Atlanta Voice. 1982-11-27. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  15. ^ panel, Sodomy bills held for study by House (1987-01-30). "Rep. Billy McKinney: 'I do things differently'". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 42. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  16. ^ "Bill to let counties decide on betting introduced in House". The Macon Telegraph. 1987-01-14. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  17. ^ "The McKinneys: Daughter And Dad Split on Politics". The Atlanta Constitution. 1988-12-29. p. 155. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  18. ^ "Legislators Resorts To Haymaker Debate". The Atlanta Constitution. 1976-03-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  19. ^ "ATLANTA: Police "not going to rush" McKinney investigation". The Atlanta Constitution. 1993-08-05. p. 38. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  20. ^ Pendered, David (August 21, 1993). "Bell blocks order to arrest McKinney". The Atlanta Constitution.
  21. ^ "No jail for McKinney for taunting witness". The Atlanta Constitution. 1994-12-17. p. 44. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  22. ^ "Colleague says McKinney made threat". The Atlanta Constitution. 1995-03-19. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  23. ^ Masters, Kim (1995-07-05). "THE WOMAN IN THE HOT SEAT". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  24. ^ "Campaign shake-up: McKinney's father no longer has role". The Atlanta Constitution. 1996-10-17. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  25. ^ Siegel, Jennifer (July 28, 2006). "Foes Take Aim At McKinney In Surprise Georgia Race". Forward.
  26. ^ Cook, Rhonda; Tagami, Ty (July 16, 2010). "Former state lawmaker Billy McKinney dies". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on July 18, 2010.
  27. ^ "Highways would lose McKinney connection". Augusta Chronicle. December 30, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
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