Colorado Senators Push Bill For Federal Juneteenth Holiday
(CBS4) - Colorado Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet are among the co-sponsors of a bill to designate Juneteenth as a federal holiday. While the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted in 1863, enslaved African Americans in Texas, a confederate state, would not be free until June 19, 1865.
Gardner says amidst the Black Lives Matter movement, the legislation is more important than ever.
"And it's not just a one-off conversation. That's happened way too many times, and recent events make us all recognize that the reflections on these issues should happen every day," he said.
The federal holiday would be called "Juneteenth National Independence Day." Colorado included, 46 states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday.
