Michigan Senate passes Juneteenth bill with near unanimous vote

This updated handout photo provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 shows a signed copy of Emancipation Proclamation. …

This updated handout photo provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 shows a signed copy of Emancipation Proclamation. The Library, in Springfield, Ill., will mark Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, by displaying the rare signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. The copy of the proclamation that’s signed by Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward will be displayed between June 15 and July 6. The original document is kept in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum photo via AP)

by: Iz Martin

Posted: May 17, 2023 / 05:00 PM EDT

Updated: May 17, 2023 / 05:56 PM EDT

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A bill that would make June 19 a state-recognized holiday passed the Michigan Senate today with an almost unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 50, introduced by Sen. Sylvia Santana, would make “Juneteenth” a bank and judicial holiday in Michigan.

Santana said that she is honored to carry on the work of her predecessors.

“This is another major milestone as we work in our state and our nation to tackle our history head on and better acknowledge, recognize, and in this case, celebrate the diverse experiences of all cultures and races,” she said.

Recognized as the commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S., June 19 is also seen as the day the 13th Amendment was ratified, but that information is not accurate.

To learn why Juneteenth is recognized in the U.S., click here.

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