On Juneteenth, Gov. Dunleavy weighs adding a new legal holiday for Alaska

Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks during a Senate level convention successful Juneau connected Feb, 8, 2019. (Skip Gray/360 North)

As Alaska celebrates Juneteenth this Wednesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is weighing whether to motion a measure to make it a ineligible vacation successful Alaska.

Dunleavy has until early July to make a determination on Senate Bill 22. If he approves nan measure, it will automatically spell into effect for 2025.

Juneteenth, a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth,” celebrates nan state of enslaved group successful nan United States. For Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, nan sponsor of nan bill, it is important that Juneteenth is recognized successful nan aforesaid measurement arsenic different holidays.

“Just for illustration we observe nan Fourth of July, Juneteenth is celebrating nan state — nan existent state — of slaves,” said Gray-Jackson, a Black authorities legislator and Democrat representing Anchorage’s Midtown.

The vacation commemorates erstwhile nan past enslaved group successful nan Confederacy learned they were free. While nan Emancipation Proclamation was issued successful 1863, enslaved group successful Galveston, Texas, didn’t study astir their state until astir 2 years later, connected June 19, 1865. The vacation is besides known arsenic Emancipation Day aliases Freedom Day.

President Joe Biden signed a rule making Juneteenth a national vacation successful 2021. Gray-Jackson has ever been willing successful making Juneteenth a authorities holiday, she said, but Biden’s determination sparked her into action. She initially introduced a Juneteenth measure successful 2021, which grounded to summation traction. Gray-Jackson reintroduced nan measure successful 2023, erstwhile the Senate passed it, 16-4. In May, nan House passed nan bill, 37-3.

Supporters opportunity nan measure is intended to make nan time a paid vacation for authorities workers; authorities management officials person said that whether workers are paid yet would dangle connected national contracts.

More than half of states recognize Juneteenth arsenic an charismatic holiday. June 19 was besides established arsenic a paid municipal vacation successful Anchorage past year. The Anchorage Assembly’s ballot was unanimous, and granted Indigenous People’s Day nan aforesaid status. The authorities recognizes Indigenous People’s Day, though it is not paid; Alaska presently celebrates 11 paid holidays, including Alaska Day and Seward’s Day.

Since 2001, Alaska authorities rule has recognized Juneteenth connected nan 3rd Saturday of June each year, and mandates a proclamation from nan governor. Dunleavy made nary mention of Senate Bill 22 successful his Juneteenth proclamation on Saturday. For Celeste Hodge Growden, nan president and CEO of nan Alaska Black Caucus, celebrating Juneteenth arsenic a authorities vacation intends a “time to reflect, a clip to educate, and a clip to celebrate. And it’s not conscionable Black group celebrating, it’s each of america celebrating state and seeing wherever we’ve travel from, and wherever we’re headed. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Some group opposed to nan measure cited nan economical strain of a paid holiday, including Sen. David Wilson, R-Wasilla, a Black personnel of nan Senate who was 1 of 4 “no” votes past year. Before nan Senate ballot past year, he based on that authorities resources would beryllium amended spent connected policies that reside wellness care, economic, acquisition and criminal justness disparities impacting African-American people.

For Hodge Growden, economical arguments against Juneteenth are an “insult,” particularly erstwhile “for truthful long, each of nan activity was done for free.” Instead, she believes that Juneteenth “gets america person to that Beloved Community that Dr. Martin Luther King talked astir often. We’re still striving to get there, and this would beryllium different measurement for us.” The Beloved Community was King’s word for a peaceful, achievable nine of reconciliation.

Gray-Jackson has invited Dunleavy to motion nan measure astatine nan Martin Luther King Jr. Living Memorial, wherever he signed nan Black History Month measure successful 2019. Dunleavy has 3 options pinch nan bill: signing it, vetoing it aliases allowing it to go rule without his signature.