King Day session miffs some Utahns

With the Legislature constitutionally mandated to convene on the third Monday in January, an underlying racial tension accompanies the pomp and circumstance of the opening day when the rest of the state and nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

While the tension has lessened somewhat since Utah lawmakers agreed in 2001 to change the name of the holiday from Human Rights Day, the memories still linger of how long it took Utah to formally recognize the famed civil rights leader.

And some minority advocates are still miffed the state constitution hasn't been changed to let lawmakers observe the day by not convening.

So, with that backdrop, it would seem fitting that when the 2007 Legislature opens today, that a bill may be debated that would create a state commemorative day marking June 19 as the Juneteenth Independence Day.

On that day in 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas, nearly two years after the order to free slaves in Confederate states was issued. The announcement sparked celebrations, which continue today as Juneteenth.

The holiday commemorating the end of slavery has been celebrated informally in Utah for half a century, and Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, hopes Utah lawmakers will give it a touch of formality.

"With Martin Luther King Jr. being a champion of civil rights, to me, I think it's fitting (Juneteenth) be addressed on the first day" of the session, Hansen said.

Hansen's bill, HB11, would create a Juneteenth state commemorative day, which is different from a holiday because it would not create a paid day of leave for state employees.

It could potentially be heard today because it received a favorable vote during a joint House and Senate committee meeting before the session, which means it would not have to go through committee hearings before reaching the floor for a vote. However, even if the bill is a priority, there may not be time for debate on the bill on the first day, when much of the time is reserved for ceremonies.

"The committee is definitely an important step in the political process," said Betty Sawyer, coordinator of the Utah Juneteenth Committee. "We're hoping they stay positive."

Sawyer said state commemoration would bring visibility to the annual celebration.

"The word is getting out," Sawyer said. "We're hoping people will use this effort to become more educated and more aware."