Illinois Recognizes Juneteenth as State Holiday
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois continues to lead the nation when it comes to tackling structural racism as legislation declaring June 19, Juneteenth, an official state holiday was signed into law.
"We can all stand proud that Illinois will officially recognize America’s second independence day,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris Welch. “As the first African-American Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, this moment will forever be a treasure in my heart, and I hope it will become a treasure for all Illinoisans. It’s a day of remembrance, but also a day of joy and perseverance."
Governor JB Pritzker recently signed this bill into law after tireless work by Representative La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago), Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) and the rest of the Illinois Legislature. This law allows the entire state to celebrate the culture and achievements of so many Black Americans.
“On June 19, 2020 Governor JB Pritzker made a commitment that he would work with the General Assembly to pass a bill to commemorate Juneteenth as a state holiday and today it happened,” said Representative Ford. “Today is the first day for Illinois to officially recognize the pain of the Black enslaved and a day to move forward with work to repair the harms for Black people.”
The legislature also convened this week to finish up work on some final-action items. This included passing a measure giving Chicago Public Schools an elected school board, another bill that fixes issues and reforms the state’s FOID card law, and the House also passed the Firearm Restraining Order measure.
A New Chief of Staff
Speaker Welch announced this week that he promoted Tiffany Moy to be his new Chief of Staff. Moy served as the Issues Development Director since January and was the unit’s Deputy Director prior to that. Moy is also the first person of color to fill this position, which continues to represent the Speaker’s commitment to uplifting a new generation of leadership that reflects the diversity of our state.
“I am proud to announce Tiffany Moy as the new Chief of Staff,” said Speaker Welch. “Tiffany has an incredibly impressive background and has fostered strong relationships within the Illinois House of Representatives. She understands the legislative process, but even more so, Tiffany knows the issues that matter most for working families throughout the state. I am so grateful for the work and service of our current Chief of Staff, Jessica Basham, and I know that she will help Tiffany grow into this role before she leaves the Office of the Speaker. I am excited for this fresh path forward as we continue fostering a new day here in Springfield.”
