LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – State lawmakers have passed a bill to make Juneteenth an official Michigan holiday after it became a federal holiday in 2021.
Juneteenth marks the day slaves in Texas learned of the 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19.
The bill had nearly unanimous support in the Legislature, with members of the Republican Party’s self-proclaimed “Freedom Caucus” voting against it. That included State Representative Steve Carra of Three Rivers.
President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday
