Veteran Maryland Del. Emmett burns dead at 81 – CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) – Former Maryland state delegate Emmett Burns has died at the age of 81, WJZ reported.

Burns served four terms in the House of Representatives representing District 10 in Baltimore County from 1995 to 2015.

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He was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1940, and is a US Air Force veteran. A family member told WJZ he passed away “wrapped in the love of the Burns family.”

Democrats have made headlines as staunch opponents of same-sex marriage, leading charges against the last successful bill to legalize marriage in the state in 2012.

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Burns was reprimanded by an ethics committee after he abused official stationery in a letter to the Baltimore Ravens urging the team to silence players who support same-sex marriage.

During his tenure as Delegate, Burns was a member of a series of committees and was Deputy Majority from 2003 to 2007. Burns was also a member of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the Maryland Veterans Caucus.

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Burns is also Minister, Pastor, and founder of Rising Sun First Baptist Church in Woodlawn.