Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation declaring June 19, Juneteenth, an official state holiday. To commemorate the abolition of slavery throughout the United States and its territories in 1865, Juneteenth will be recognized as National Freedom Day in Illinois.
The state continues to build upon efforts to actively dismantle systemic racism through robust reforms in the areas of criminal justice, education, health care, and economic opportunity. House Bill 3922 is another historic step in striving toward equity and justice across Illinois.
“Just as Illinois led the nation as the first state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, in 2021, we are leading the nation in tackling structural racism head on thanks to the guiding vision of Leader Lightford, Representative Ford, Speaker Welch and the entire Illinois Legislative Black Caucus,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It brings me exceptional pride to sign into law the declaration of Juneteenth as a formal state holiday in Illinois, making us one of the few states in the nation to give it the full status it deserves.”
Illinois will recognize Juneteenth throughout the state, lowering all flags covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act to half-staff on Saturday, June 19. In addition, this year and henceforth, a Juneteenth flag will fly proudly over the State Capitol in Springfield.
“Making Juneteenth a state holiday is a breakthrough in Illinois history,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood).“It reminds us that freedom and racial equality have always been a hard-fought battle for Black Americans and gives us an opportunity to celebrate our culture and achievements.”
“Today, we can all stand proud that Illinois will officially recognize America’s second independence day,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Westchester). “As the first African-American Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, this moment will forever be a treasure in my heart, and I hope it will become a treasure for all Illinoisans. It’s a day of remembrance, but also a day of joy and perseverance.”
“On June 19, 2020 Governor JB Pritzker made a commitment that he would work with the General Assembly to pass a bill to commemorate Juneteenth as a state holidays and today it happen,” said Representative La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago). “Today is the first day for Illinois to officially recognize the pain of the black enslaved and a day to move forward with work to repair the harms for black people.”
All Illinoisans are urged to reflect on our collective history and the actions we can take to build a more fair and equitable society. To learn more about the historical impact of Juneteenth, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will display the Emancipation Proclamation through July 6. In addition, the Illinois State Museum will showcase art celebrating Black lives through their Noir Art Exhibition.
The legislation clarifies that Juneteenth will be a paid holiday for state workers and public education professionals when June 19 falls on a weekday. Given that June 19 falls on a Sunday in 2022, the first paid state holiday for Juneteenth will be in 2023.
HB 3922 is effective January 1, 2022.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:01 am:
Signs it on anniversary of Lincoln’s House Divided speech. Sorta cool.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:15 am:
Is he going to veto the other one, or will it become law without his signature?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:19 am:
===Is he going to veto the other one===
And give crazy Facebookers unlimited fodder? lol
- This, not that, - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:24 am:
…should be expanded in elementary school curriculums…
- DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:38 am:
The count of the current paid holidays for state workers is 12 in years with no general election and 13 in years with a general election.
So adding Juneteenth only on weekdays would make the total 12 or 13 in years with no general election and 13 or 14 in years with a general election, depending on which day June 19 falls.
https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/personnel/employeeresources/pages/stateholidays.aspx
- Ares - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:48 am:
A brilliant move by JB, blunting criticism until after the 2022 election.
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 11:57 am:
@Ares: lol… I’m sure there’ll still be plenty of criticism of the Gov for this move. People are already complaining about state employees having another paid day off, even if only when the holiday falls on weekdays. In general, there are many, many miserable people out there that’ll complain even about a square Cheerio.
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
A little perplexing why fixed date holidays (New Year’s Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Independence Day, Veterans Day, Christmas) can still have the provision that it will be a state holiday for employees if it falls during the week, but Juneteenth was not.
- Cardinal Fan - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:19 pm:
No need for this. Another paid day for no work for governmental employees. July 4th is the holiday. Pretty soon every single day is gonna be holiday for something.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:20 pm:
===Pretty soon every single day is gonna be holiday===
Don’t argue like a child.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:25 pm:
Christmas shouldn’t be a federal/state holiday. Lots of people don’t celebrate that, after all.
- Cardinal Fan - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
A state holiday (paid) was just observed a few months ago so that people who already had numerous ways that they could vote have an ADDITIONAL paid day to go vote. And now this.
- very old soil - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:46 pm:
Yesterday the U.S Senate voted unanimously to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
- Blue Dog - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 12:57 pm:
This sort of landmark legislative actions will put Illinois on the map.
- Gruntled University Employee - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:01 pm:
===Pretty soon every single day is gonna be holiday===
We can only hope.
- Alice - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:19 pm:
Cheryl-
The cost of keeping an office open for a handful of people is too high. If you have 100 ppl in an office and 10 don’t believe in the meaning of Christmas and want to work, the cost of opening that office for those 10 ppl is not smart.
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:26 pm:
@Cardinal Fan: I usually don’t feed certain comments, but I’ll bite: What exactly is your beef? Do you not like state employees? Are you perhaps jealous and wish you could be a state employee (but you can’t get the grade or you have no clout for a double-exempt position)? Is it that you feel the legislation is too “expensive”? Do you not think the holiday is needed? Or, are you just cranky?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:27 pm:
===Or, are you just cranky? ===
Missed one.
- Give Us Barabbas - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:28 pm:
The Senate in DC just passed a Juneteenth federal holiday bill, the Dems have enough votes in the House for it and Biden is a lock to sign, so, states follow Federal and bank holidays, don’t they? The federal one is likely to do the weekend- skipping thing, so, nice Illinois is ahead of the curve but maybe that’s moot after the President signs the Federal version and state workers will get the Monday off by next year instead of two years away.
- SomeGuy - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:31 pm:
This is now the only state holiday with the weekend exemption. So it is only a holiday if it falls on 5/7 days of the week. Kind of sends the wrong message given the history of the 3/5 of a vote. Five sevenths is a little better than three fifths, but I can imagine an uproar over it.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:41 pm:
===but I can imagine an uproar over it===
Yes, because sponsors La Shawn Ford and Kim Lightford are clearly neo-Confederates.
Not everything has to be a controversy.
- SomeGuy - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:46 pm:
===Yes, because sponsors La Shawn Ford and Kim Lightford are clearly neo-Confederates.
Not everything has to be a controversy.===
I’m not saying it was intended to be a slight. While I agree that not everything HAS to be a controversy recent events have shown that if a controversy is possible it will happen. If not from the people, the ratings driven media will push it since the stories will get views.
I guess I just don’t have faith in the general public. Either way it will likely be a moot point once the US house votes on S.475 and the President signs it. Both of which are basically a foregone conclusion.
- Fairycat - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:48 pm:
Appreciate seeing others notice the weekend exemption. For state workers who also work rotating or weekend shifts, this exemption puts them at a disadvantage. They would only get holiday pay if the Juneteenth holiday they’re working on is a weekday. If you’re a state worker who is scheduled to work on the weekend, you wouldn’t get the holiday off. For the governor’s usual consideration of the working person, this feels like an oversight.
- Alice - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 1:54 pm:
I just read that Juneteenth is on its way to become a federal holiday and I know union contracts state that they get all federal holidays off. So if this becomes a federal holiday and it’s observed federally on a Friday or Monday when it falls on weekend does the bill JB just signed remain?
- The Failing New York Times - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 2:00 pm:
@ Cardinal Fan
Your internalized racism is showing. If you really are so patriotic, you should be proud of what Juneteenth signifies. The ability of a non-perfect union to take another stride towards ensuring the ink on its founding documents applies to all people. Lets not forget that at some point only land owning white men could partake in our democracy.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 3:33 pm:
#NotAllCardinalFans
- Collinsville Kevin - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 3:42 pm:
I’m confident AFSCME will see to it that this will be a state holiday forever.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 4:01 pm:
I wonder if the folks that drafted the house version of the bill considered the impact this would have on the 24/7 facilities operated by the state and other workers that work weekend schedules.
The legislation basically is forcing people to work on a state holiday with no acknowledgement or designation of that holiday which means in all practicality it’s not really being acknowledged as a holiday by the state on years it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday.
The symbolism here isn’t great.
- don the legend - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
==Pretty soon every single day is gonna be holiday for something.==
If all goes as planned, July 30 for me
- FormerParatrooper - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 4:44 pm:
Right now the meaning of Juneteenth will be remembered for at least two more generations. Even with the recent acknowledgment of Juneteenth there are many who don’t know the significance. We still celebrate Casimir Pulaski Day, yet a majority of people are clueless to he (or she) was.
This is a important part of our history and needs to be taught. It should be taught as our progression in our founding documents as all men are created equal showing our journey to realize that simple but accurate statement.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 6:46 pm:
CNN reports Congress passed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Biden to sign the bill as soon as possible.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/politics/house-vote-juneteenth-federal-holiday-senate-passed-june-19/index.html
- Moved East - Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 7:02 pm:
Slavery is the great stain on the American experiment which still sullies the nation. Recognizing Juneteenth will help us to celebrate that our democracy finally worked and ended a horrendous institution, and help us remember how far we have come and how very far we still need to go.