Billy McKinney | |
|---|---|
 McKinney in a 1976 article | |
| Member of theGeorgia House of Representatives | |
| In office January 8, 1973 – January 13, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | District established |
| Succeeded by | Nan Orrock |
| Constituency | 35th district (1973–1993) 51st district (1993–2003) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Edward McKinney (1927-02-23)February 23, 1927 Abbeville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 2010(2010-07-15) (aged 83) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Leola Christion |
| Alma mater | Clark College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1946 |
James Edward "Billy"McKinney (February 23, 1927 – July 15, 2010) was an American politician from the U.S. state ofGeorgia. McKinney served as aDemocrat in theGeorgia House of Representatives from 1973 until 2003. He was also the father of former Georgia congresswoman andGreen Party presidential candidateCynthia McKinney.
McKinney was born inAbbeville inWilcox County, Georgia. His mother, Ann Turner Lewis, was ajazz singer, and his father, who he reportedly only met once, was asaxophone player.[1] He attendedBooker T. Washington High School andClark College,[2] ahistorically black college. He became a decorated veteran of theUnited States Army. He was credited with integrating theAtlanta Police Department and spearheading the efforts of the Afro-American Police League.
McKinney was reportedly arrested inFlorence,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 asegregatedwater fountain.[1][3][4]
McKinney served as aDemocrat in theGeorgia 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 theFulton CountyCommission, receiving 33.1 percent of the vote.[5]
In August 1972, prior to getting elected into office, McKinney filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia'sproperty tax school funding, describing it as discriminatory and as violating theEqual 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 toSuper Fly", referring to young people who "don't have respect for laws, for other people or for their parents".[7] In 1975, McKinney criticizedgun 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 theEqual 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 ofSidney Marcus for Mayor ofAtlanta. Marcus was a prominent Jewish leader; his opponent was the well-known African-American politicianAndrew 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 theReagan 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 toThe 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 suspectedAIDS victim under a court order."[15] He also introduced a bill that would allow individual counties to legalize bets ondog orhorse 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]
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 representativeJ. 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 theAtlanta City Council.[needs context] McKinney denied the accusation.[19][20] In December 1994, McKinney was fined $500 for insulting and threatening congressmanGary Franks, after Franks had testified on behalf of a group of whiteplaintiffs 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 apocketknife 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 theAmerican 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.
Billy McKinney died on July 15, 2010, at the age of 83 in his southwestAtlanta home after a long struggle withcancer. He was in hospice care. His wife Leola and friends were with him at the time of death.[26]
A portion ofInterstate 285 is known in his honor as the "James E. "Billy" McKinney Highway" betweenI-20 in northwest Atlanta andI-75 nearCumberland Mall.[27]