Gov. Walz (DFL-MN) makes Juneteenth state holiday; signs Crown Act

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KEYC) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed a bill into law making Juneteenth a state holiday.

The governor made it official this morning at a ceremonial signing surrounded by racial equity leaders in the state.

The signing of the CROWN act, which bans discrimination in workplaces and schools based on a person’s hair, was also a part this morning’s ceremony.

Legislators passed the bill earlier this month and Gov. Walz officially made it law on Wednesday with his signature.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of slaves, marked by the proclamation of Major General Gordon Granger in 1865, when the last slaves were freed in the state of Texas.

President Biden signed a bill making the day federal holiday beginning in 2021.

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