Bill Text: FL S0978 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Juneteenth Independence Day

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Messages [S0978 Detail]

Download: Florida-2020-S0978-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2020                                     SM 978
       
       
        
       By Senator Pizzo
       
       
       
       
       
       38-01064-20                                            2020978__
    1                           Senate Memorial                         
    2         A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
    3         urging Congress to recognize June 19, 2020, as
    4         “Juneteenth Independence Day.”
    5  
    6         WHEREAS, on January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln
    7  issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery, and
    8         WHEREAS, despite the issuance of the Emancipation
    9  Proclamation, news of the end of slavery did not travel to
   10  certain regions of the United States for more than 2 years
   11  afterwards, and
   12         WHEREAS, on or about June 19, 1865, federal authorities had
   13  arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform slaves that the Civil War
   14  had ended and that the enslaved were now free, and
   15         WHEREAS, following emancipation, former slaves and their
   16  descendants continued to commemorate each June 19 in recognizing
   17  the emancipation of all slaves in the United States and
   18  celebrating freedom, and
   19         WHEREAS, in 1991, Florida officially designated June 19 of
   20  each year as “Juneteenth Day” to commemorate the freeing of
   21  slaves within the state, and
   22         WHEREAS, Congress has previously demonstrated strong
   23  bipartisan support in recognizing “Juneteenth Independence Day,”
   24  evidenced by the introduction of Senate Resolution 253, House
   25  Resolution 448, and House Resolution 450 in June 2019, NOW,
   26  THEREFORE,
   27  
   28  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         That the Congress of the United States is urged to
   31  recognize June 19, 2020, as “Juneteenth Independence Day.”
   32         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch
   33  copies of this memorial to the Majority Leader of the United
   34  States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
   35  each member of the Florida delegation to the United States
   36  Congress.