Juneteenth will now be recognized as a paid holiday in Tennessee.
The bill was passed by the Tennessee Legislature on Thursday with 61 ayes, and 18 nays.
As the Flyer reported, the bill was sponsored by Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), but it had stalled in recent legislative sessions due to fiscal concerns.
Information provided by the Department of Human Resources on the fiscal note of the bill assumed that “approximately 4,000 employees earn compensatory time or some type of overtime annually on July 4th. It was estimated that the value of “earned time, based on the hourly rates of employees,” was $691,890.
“Due to multiple unknown factors, the precise amount of any such increase in expenditures cannot be quantified but is reasonably estimated to range from $173 per employee per holiday ($691,890 / 4,000) up to $691,890 for all employees per holiday. Therefore, the annual increase in fiscal liability to the state is up to $691,890,” the note said.
Juneteenth has been observed for 156 years and, according to the Smithsonian Institute, this holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people on June 19, 1865. While the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, the Smithsonian Institute said everyone in “Confederate territory” did not become free until two years later.
“Thank you so much to my colleagues who voted to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday in Tennessee,” said Tennessee House Majority Leader Karen Camper (D-Memphis). “It is so important for us to reflect on the history of our nation – AND for history to be taught and acknowledged. On the road to freedom, every signpost should be celebrated.”
