Massachusetts State House.
HYANNIS – Designating Juneteenth Independence Day as an official state holiday in Massachusetts has been supported by State Representative Will Crocker (R-Centerville) alongside other colleagues in the House of Representatives.
“I am proud to have been a co-sponsor of this piece of legislation,” said Crocker in a statement.
“Once again, Massachusetts will be a leader among the states as passing a bill that shines a light on something that has been neglected for far too long. Juneteenth should be shared and celebrated in our Commonwealth.”
Juneteenth Independence Day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, dating back to June 19, 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended and that the state’s slaves were now free as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863.
The proposal was adopted as an amendment to a $1.1 billion supplemental budget passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 158-0.
The amended supplemental budget now moves to the Senate for further action.
About Grady Culhane
