Former President Barack Obama will get his very own holiday after lawmakers in Illinois passed legislation designating August 4 “Barack Obama Day.” The decision was unanimously passed by both state houses on Friday and State Governor Bruce Raunce signed it into law. The holiday also falls on Obama’s birthday.
According to NBC Chicago , Barack Obama Day will be observed in the State of Illinois. Senate Bill 55 reads that the holiday will be “observed throughout the State as a day set apart to honor the 44th President of the United States of America who began his career serving the People of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities.”
Senate Bill 55 was introduced by Sen. Emil Jones, III, whose father is former Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., a key player in helping catapult Obama to the U.S. Senate in 2004 when he was a state senator. Jones, Jr. is said to view himself as Obama’s political “godfather.”
At first, Democrats wanted Obama’s birthday to be a legal state holiday that mandated schools and state offices be closed. Some lawmakers opposed the idea since other Illinois presidents like Ronald Reagan didn’t have that kind of holiday. Barack Obama Day is included with other recognized holidays, such as Adlai Stevenson Day, Ronald Reagan Day, and Jane Addams Day. There aren’t any government or work closures for those holidays.
Republicans and Rauner also brought up the economic cost of closing state buildings on the holiday and workers having the day off. Rauner said back in February that the state is “incredibly proud” that Obama came from Illinois and that they should “celebrate” it. He noted that instead of having a formal holiday, there should be a “day of acknowledgment and celebration” for Barack Obama.
‘Barack Obama Day’ is now an Illinois holiday https://t.co/Is4X7C4Byi pic.twitter.com/LgpcGHXmlj
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) August 6, 2017
Aside from Obama being a president Illinois is proud of, it goes without saying that he’s the first African-American voted in as U.S. President, a groundbreaking achievement.
Illinois makes “Barack Obama Day” a state holiday https://t.co/E72acGUOrH pic.twitter.com/q1ZDel57S4
— The Hill (@thehill) August 7, 2017
In July, lawmakers also voted to rename a section of a highway in Chicago after Obama. The stretch of highway is on Interstate 55 between the Tri-State Tollway south to mile marker 202 near Pontiac. They voted to call it “Barack Obama Presidential Expressway.”
What do you think of Illinois declaring August 4 as Barack Obama Day?
[Featured Image by Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images]
