Emmett C. Burns Jr. was an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party.
He served four terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Maryland’s District 10 in Baltimore County.
Burns was also a member of the Economic Matters Committee.
He was born on August 26, 1940, in Jackson, Mississippi, United States.
Emmett C. Burns Jr. earned a B.S. degree from Jackson State University and a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Union University.
He later received a Master of Religious Education degree from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Burns sponsored the bill that changed the name of Maryland’s major airport to the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in 2005 to honor Supreme Court Justice and Maryland native Thurgood Marshall.
Burns often clashed with Democratic leaders on social issues. He opposed abortion rights legislation and efforts to legalize slot machines in the state.
Prior to the end of his career, he was a prominent opponent of legalizing same-sex marriage in Maryland.
Following a brief stint in the United States Air Force, Burns became a Baptist minister in Baltimore.
He was the founding pastor of the Rising Sun First Baptist Church in Woodlawn.
Emmett C. Burns Jr. Cause Of Death: How Did Former Maryland State Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. Die?
According to a statement from the family, Emmett C. Burns Jr died “surrounded by the love of the Burns family.”
He passed away on March 17, 2022, in Baltimore at the age of 81.
Emmett C. Burns Jr is survived by his wife, Earlean; his three children, Emmett Burns II, Engel Burns and Evers Burns; and five grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced by the family.