From: Quincy McCullough

Winona

 

It took the better part of 157 years, but Juneteenth is finally on its way to being a state holiday. For those who aren't familiar with this holiday, it celebrates the end of institutional slavery in the U.S. when the last enslaved Africans were freed on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas. In early February of 2023, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a bill recognizing the holiday by wide margins, and it was signed by Gov. Walz into law. The voting margin was so wide in the Minnesota House, 126-1, that it has to be about as popular as any bill. You want to know who the one “no” vote was? Rep. Steve Jacob from rural Winona County. Apparently, he doesn't see the end of slavery as something worth celebrating. If he is your representative, I would suggest you let him know your thoughts.