Junteenth Independence Day advances

A bill to create a state commemorative day to mark Juneteenth Independence Day passed its first hurdle Tuesday with overwhelming support.

Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, said Wednesday's affirmative vote by the Interim Government Operations Committee is the first step toward Utah officially celebrating the end of slavery.

"To me, this is part of history, this is part of America," said Hansen, who hopes lawmakers will pass the bill on the first day of the 2007 legislative session, which falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The bill can now move directly to the House and Senate floors. If Wednesday's hearing was any prediction, the bill could avoid controversy that has surrounded prior ceremonial issues and the contentiousness that surrounded efforts to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

However, if the bill does become controversial it would likely go back to committees for hearings during the legislative session.

Only one committee member voted against creating a state commemorative day on the third Saturday in June to mark Juneteenth Independence Day. It would not create a paid day of leave for state employees as would a state holiday.

Juneteenth is a celebration of the June 19, 1865, announcement to slaves in Galveston, Texas, that they had been freed, nearly 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation had ordered freedom for slaves in Confederate states.

Rep. Roger Barrus, R-Centerville, the only lawmaker to vote against the bill, questioned why the holiday's uniqueness compared to other multicultural events or other milestones such as women's suffrage.

"I think it's a very worthy cause," Barrus said. "I just think there's all kinds of worthy causes."

Hansen responded, "It is the history of our country," which was founded by individuals who wanted freedom, yet many owned slaves.

"That's what sets it apart from other common holidays," he said. "Putting it on a list brings to light as Americans that we overcame that oppression and that we rise above it."

Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, agreed the holiday is unique.

"This is the moment when all men were created equal," Hutchings said. "All men, across the board."

Utahns have been celebrating the holiday for 50 years, and there's been an organized state celebration for more than a decade, said Betty Sawyer, coordinator of the Utah Juneteenth Committee.

"Currently over 10,000 people participate in our celebration," Sawyer said. "It's an opportunity not only to celebrate our rich heritage but to bring together all the community members to learn about diversity."

James Evans, chairman of the Salt Lake County Republican Party, said Juneteenth is a celebration of a decision to do the right thing.

"It celebrates the greatness of all that America is good for," he said.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com