President Biden Signs Law Making Juneteenth 11th Federal Holiday

Yesterday, President Biden signed the bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday which left states across the county scrambling to close their government offices for today. With June 19th falling on a Saturday this year, Governors across the county made quick decisions and several announced their plans for offices in their states to close today. States like Maryland, Nebraska, Missouri, West Virginia and Alabama will gave most public employees the day off but states like California have decided to wait to feel the effect of the new law. A statement released by California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said “The governor issues a proclamation each year to celebrate this important day. At the state level, establishing a holiday usually requires legislation and collective bargaining.” In D.C. many employees will continue serving to ‘maintain essential district operations’ which includes walk-up vaccination sites, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Parks and Recreation. With the signing, Juneteenth became the eleventh federal holiday recognized by the U.S. federal government.