While Juneteenth is not a state holiday, Idaho government workers observe it. Here’s why
Idaho is among the nearly half of U.S. states observing Juneteenth as an official holiday this year, according to Pew Research, although the state has yet to codify June 19 as a public holiday.
When Idaho Gov. Brad Little proclaimed the state would recognize Juneteenth last year, he cited a section of Idaho code that defines a holiday as “any day so designated by the president of the United States or the governor.” That means Idaho law recognized June 19 as a public holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act last year.
Idaho state offices were closed and state employees had a paid day off Monday to observe Juneteenth for the second consecutive year. The June 19 holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Juneteenth is much more than a ‘holiday,’ ” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said in a news release last week. “It is a day to honor the countless contributions made by African-Americans to our country and nation. It is a day of remembrance to reaffirm that America is the Land of the Free.”
In 2021, Juneteenth became the 11th federal holiday, days when nonessential federal offices and most banks close. The other 10 federal holidays are New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
States choose whether to recognize federal holidays, and many have established state holidays, such as Nevada Day, when Nevada state offices and schools close on Oct. 31 each year to celebrate statehood.
This year, 24 states plus Washington, D.C., will recognize Juneteenth as a public holiday, according to Pew Research. All of those states, except Texas — which made Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980 — have added Juneteenth as a legal holiday since 2020, when the formerly little-known anniversary gained notoriety following nationwide protests over the killing of Black Americans by police.
Some states, such as South Dakota, North Dakota and Hawaii, passed legislation establishing June 19 as a state holiday.
Idaho, on the other hand, simply recognizes the federal holiday. Juneteenth is not among the 10 holidays recognized by Idaho code, which match the other 10 federal holidays. A code change would require action by the Legislature.
Previously, Idaho celebrated Juneteenth National Freedom Day, although it was not an official public holiday. In 2001, the Idaho Legislature passed a resolution to observe Juneteenth on the third Saturday of June each year.
