Idaho Senators Crapo and Risch introduce legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

 

Idaho’s U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 senators in introducing legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

If the bill passes, the federal government would observe the June 19th holiday in parity with Idaho’s existing recognition of the celebration.

Idaho was the fifth state to recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or a day of observance in 2001, and now nearly every state does. Idaho is not, however, among the states that give government workers a paid holiday on June 19th.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the civil war came to an end and the enslaved were now free.