Jay Woodson Dickey Jr. (December 14, 1939 – April 20, 2017) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 1993 to 2001. The amendment known as the Dickey Amendment (1996) blocks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from funding injury prevention research that might promote gun control, and the Dickey–Wicker Amendment (1995) prohibits federal funds to be spent on research that involves the destruction of a human embryo.
Jay Dickey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Beryl Anthony Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Mike Ross |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jay Woodson Dickey Jr. December 14, 1939 Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | April 20, 2017 (aged 77) Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Betty Clark (div 1987) |
| Children | John, Laura, Ted, and Rachel |
| Education | Pine Bluff High School |
| Alma mater | Hendrix College University of Arkansas at Fayetteville University of Arkansas School of Law |
Education and early career
editBorn in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Dickey graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1957; after attending Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1961 from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. In 1963, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law.[1] He began his career in law in private practice, and later served as city attorney of Pine Bluff from 1968 to 1970.[1]
In 1988 then-Governor Bill Clinton appointed Dickey as a special justice for a case before the Arkansas Supreme Court.[1]
Political career
editOn November 3, 1992, the same day as Clinton's election as U.S. President, Dickey defeated Arkansas Secretary of State William J. "Bill" McCuen, described as a "scandal-plagued Democratic nominee".[2] The first Republican to hold this House seat, he was re-elected three times. He served on the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, and five of its subcommittees:[citation needed] Agriculture, National Security, Energy and Water, Transportation and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.[citation needed]
A Second Amendment rights advocate, in 1996 Dickey responded to a supposed bias[3] on the part of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose research on firearm injuries and fatalities was deemed motivated by pro gun-control politics, rather than science.[4] Dickey successfully passed an amendment to eliminate $2.6 million from the CDC budget, reflecting the amount the CDC had previously spent on gun research.[4]
The outspoken, controversial, and conservative Dickey saw his popularity decline in his overall moderate district. In 2000, he lost in his reelection campaign to the Democratic candidate Mike Ross in a close race. Then House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois came into the district in a bid to save Dickey's seat, while President Clinton poured massive resources on behalf of Ross.[citation needed]
Dickey opposed Ross in 2002 in an attempt to return to his seat, but he was defeated, 60-40 percent.[5]
Subsequent career
editAfter leaving office, Dickey operated JD Consulting,[6] primarily a federal government lobbying firm, which represents clients' interest in children's health care, navigation and water, tax matters, homeland security, and roads.[7]
Following the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado, Dickey publicly reversed his position on gun violence research. He said that he should not have become "the NRA's point person in Congress" to suppress valid and valuable work. He called for new scientific research in the field.[8]
Death
editDickey died on April 20, 2017, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.[9]
Electoral history
editThe following are the electoral results from the Arkansas's 4th congressional district for 1992–2002.[10]
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | W. J. "Bill" McCuen | 102,918 | 48% | Jay Dickey | 113,009 | 52% | ||
| 1994 | Jay Bradford | 81,370 | 48% | Jay Dickey | 87,469 | 52% | ||
| 1996 | Vincent Tolliver | 72,391 | 36% | Jay Dickey | 125,956 | 64% | ||
| 1998 | Judy Smith | 68,194 | 42% | Jay Dickey | 92,346 | 58% | ||
| 2000 | Mike Ross | 108,143 | 51% | Jay Dickey | 104,017 | 49% | ||
| 2002 | Mike Ross | 119,633 | 61% | Jay Dickey | 77,904 | 39% |
References
edit- ^ a b c United States Congress. "Jay Dickey (id: D000312)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
- ^ "Republican Party". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
- ^ "Reviving the CDC's Gun-Factoid Factory". National Review Online. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ^ a b Luo, Michael (January 25, 2011). "N.R.A. Stymies Firearms Research". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-20.(subscription required)
- ^ "United States congressional delegations from Arkansas". Ballotpedia.
- ^ "Lobbying: JD Consulting". OpenSecrets.org. OpenSecrets. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
- ^ "Jay Woodson Dickey Jr. (1939–2017)". CALS (Central Arkansas Library System) Encyclopedia.
- ^ "We won't know the cause of gun violence until we look for it". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- ^ "Former Arkansas congressman Jay Dickey dies at 77". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Associated Press. April 21, 2017. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2007-07-25. Retrieved 2010-04-06.