Washington Examiner – President Obama’s birthday is now a state holiday in Illinois.
Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed a bill into law on Friday designating Aug. 4 as officially “Barack Obama Day.”
The new state holiday will be celebrated each year on Obama’s birthday, beginning in 2018.
The bill stated that the holiday will be observed throughout the state in honor of the 44th president of the United States, “who began his career serving the People of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities.”
Several lawmakers in both chambers of the state legislature abstained from voting for the bill, but it passed without a single “no” vote.
“It’s incredibly proud for Illinois that the president came from Illinois. I think it’s awesome, and I think we should celebrate it,” said the Governor.
The new holiday is strictly commemorative, meaning that banks will remain open, and no one will get any mandatory paid time-off from work, but instead it will be treated as a “day of acknowledgment and celebration.”
