LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Juneteenth is now a state holiday in Nevada.
That's after Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 140 into law on Thursday. The measure passed by votes of 40 to 1 in the state Assembly and 19 to 2 in the state Senate.
Today, I was honored to sign AB 140, which officially made Juneteenth a state holiday in Nevada. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, and I’m proud that Nevada will now recognize this holiday on a state and federal level. pic.twitter.com/eDxLySbok0
— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) June 8, 2023
According to the bill, Juneteenth will be observed on June 19th every year, unless it falls on a weekend. In that case, it would be treated like other holidays, including New Year's Day and July 4, and would be observed on either the Friday before or the Monday after the holiday.
Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday back in 2021.
According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, on June 19, 1865, some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and the army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree.
You can learn more about the holiday here.
In recognition of Juneteenth, the City of Henderson is also hosting a cultural festival at Water Street Plaza. Events are scheduled for June 16, 17, and 19.
