PUBLIC HOLIDAYS; JUNETEENTH S.B. 50 (S-1):
ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
Senate Bill 50 (Substitute S-1 as passed by the Senate) (enacted version)
Sponsor: Senator Sylvia Santana
Committee: Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection
RATIONALE
Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day or Emancipation Day, is on June 19. Juneteenth commemorates the day when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the State and read General Order No.3, which stated that all slaves were free under enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. Texas was the last of the Confederate States of America in which the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced. Following 2021 Federal Legislation, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist proclaimed June 19, 2022, as Juneteenth Celebration Day in Michigan. It has been suggested that the Michigan Compiled Laws be amended to codify this public holiday.
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 124 of 1865, which designates observed public holidays, to include June 19 (Juneteenth) in a list of days that must be considered and treated as the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, and as public holidays or half holidays.
Public Act 124 of 1865 lists days that, for all purposes regarding the presenting for payment or acceptance, and the protesting and giving notice of the dishonor of bills of exchange, bank checks, and promissory notes, and, generally, for the holding of courts, must be treated as the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, and as public holidays or half holidays. These days include January 1 (New Year's Day), the third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), July 4 (Independence Day), November 11 (Veterans' Day), and Christmas Day. The bill would add Juneteenth to the list.
BACKGROUND
On June 19th, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston Texas to announce General Order No. 3. General Order No. 3 states:
"The people are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves the absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between the former masters and salves and the connection before existing between then becomes that employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain in their current homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere."
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
Acting as a day of emancipation, Juneteenth became a longstanding day of celebration to honor African American resilience and the end of slavery. It is important to recognize that slavery in the United States is abolished and acknowledge the second Independence Day for the history of Black Americans and the Country. In June 2005, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed Public Act 48, officially designating the third Saturday of June, "June 19th National Freedom Day" in Michigan, making Michigan the 18th state to officially recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. According to testimony, there are currently 21 states that recognize Juneteenth in some iteration as a holiday, and in 2022, the United States Congress officially recognized Juneteenth as a Federal holiday - over 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Black history is American history, and codifying this day of celebration recognizes that.
Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a negligible, if not neutral, fiscal impact local governments. State employees already have been granted a Juneteenth holiday; thus, the bill would have no fiscal impact on the State.
Regarding revenue collections, the bill likely would not affect any State revenue collections, as the current practice for any collections slated for the date of a State holiday is to collect them on the following business day. For example, Secretary of State fees for driver and vehicle registrations would be collected on the next day of operations for branch offices. With respect to employee costs for local government, the fiscal impact likely would be neutral. Salaried employees would not be affected by the addition of another State holiday, as they would receive the same salary. However, there are some employees who are entitled to additional pay for working holidays, such as local and county law enforcement officials. The bill could add additional wage costs for those employees. Conversely, local governments could see wage cost savings from wages paid to hourly employees, as these employees generally do not work full-time, nor do they receive paid holidays. Based on these factors, it is likely that the additional costs for holiday-pay eligible salaried employees could be negated by the savings from the decreased pay for hourly employees; these costs would vary across local governments.
Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco, Jr.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.