Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, today released the following statement on a bipartisan resolution to recognize and provide Senate employees with an annual paid day off to observe Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a national commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It was recognized as a federal holiday for the first time in 2021. 

“I love this idea. It’s an honor to join my colleagues in recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for the Minnesota Senate. Juneteenth was made a national holiday last year, and now, we join the growing list of organizations and businesses in observing this holiday.  

“The commemoration of the abolition of slavery is not only appropriate but way overdue. The holiday of Juneteenth is a fundamental reminder of our nation’s history and all that we have achieved. I invite everyone to remember the importance, meaning, and value of personal freedom and liberty.” 

 The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln and ended slavery in confederate states. However, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived at Galveston, Texas to announce the emancipation of slaves in the state, that all slaves affected by the Emancipation Proclamation were freed.