The South Dakota Legislature couldn’t work up the votes to make Juneteenth a mere working holiday. But North Dakota’s Legislature just passed a comparable measure:
North Dakota’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bipartisan bill Tuesday to recognize Juneteenth as a ceremonial holiday in the state — one of just three that does not observe it in some way.
…Although the North Dakota legislation would make June 19 a state-recognized holiday, it would not be an official paid holiday for state employees — something backers said likely would have hindered the bill’s passage.
The House passed the bill 70-22 on Tuesday. The Senate endorsed the measure 44-3 in February. The legislation now heads to GOP Gov. Doug Burgum, who is expected to sign it [James McPherson, “North Dakota Legislature OKs Juneteenth Ceremonial Holiday,” AP via Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2021.04.06].
…thus leaving South Dakota and Hawaii as the only states that don’t legally recognize Juneteenth. That’s odd: I just reported yesterday that South Dakota is the least inclusive state in the nation, while Hawaii is the most inclusive.
Had the Democratic members of the House of Representatives not block voted against SB 71, which is essentially the same bill that passed in ND, it would have become law. Are you saying that caucus decision was a mistake?
Jeez, I don’t know JLB, what do you think?
The Democrats in the South Dakota Legislature don’t have enough votes to block anything.