Alabama lawmakers vote to make Juneteenth an official state holiday

Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill recognizing Juneteenth as state holiday

Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 165, marking the annual holiday on June 19.

Alabama lawmakers vote to make Juneteenth an official state holiday

Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday gave final passage to legislation that will make Juneteenth an official state holiday. The Alabama Senate voted 13-5 for the legislation that now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her to sign or veto. Ivey, for…

Bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday headed to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk

State Rep. Rick Rehm’s bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday is headed to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk for signature after the Alabama Senate approved it on Wednesday.Juneteenth, or June 19, commemorates the day upon which Black slaves learned of their emancipation in 1865.

Alabama lawmakers send Juneteenth holiday bill to Gov. Kay Ivey

A sculpture of enslaved men, women and children seen in Alabama Bicentennial Park in Montgomery, Alabama on January 24, 2023. Alabama was a slave state from 1819 to 1865, and Montgomery was a major slave trading destination. The Alabama Senate Wednesday gave final approval to a bill making Juneteenth a state holiday. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)The Alabama Senate Wednesday gave final approval to a bill making Juneteenth a state holiday in Ala…