Jun. 19, 2019
HARRISBURG – Rep. Sue Helm (R-Dauphin/Lebanon) today announced that the governor has signed
House Bill 619, Juneteenth National Freedom Day, which she authored.
This bill makes June 19, Juneteenth National Freedom Day, an officially observed holiday in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
“After nine years of pushing this legislation, I am beyond happy to see this bill finally cross the finish line,” said Helm. “It is my hope that this holiday will raise knowledge and awareness of the origins of Juneteenth and how important a day it is to our nation.”
Juneteenth commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement in Galveston, Texas, declaring that all enslaved persons in the state were to be freed. This event marked the completion of the abolition of slavery in the United States.
While over 30 states have Juneteenth resolutions, Pennsylvania is only the second state to have an official law on the books regarding Juneteenth.
For more information on Helm and her legislative priorities, please visit
SueHelm.net or
Facebook.com/RepHelm.
Representative Sue Helm
104th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Kevin DiGuiseppe
717.260.6419
Kdiguiseppe@pahousegop.com
SueHelm.net /
Facebook.com/RepHelm