Will Alaska’s Governor sign bill making Juneteenth a state holiday?

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Will he or won’t he sign? That’s the question some people are asking Gov. Mike Dunleavy after Senate Bill 22 was passed by the Alaska Legislature in 2024, seeking to designate Juneteenth as an official state holiday.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, who said the day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. is an important symbol of freedom.

“Juneteenth is Independence Day for Black people, who were slaves for many, many years. It’s our Independence Day,” Gray Jackson said.

Gray-Jackson’s bill passed the Alaska Senate back in 2023, but Gray-Jackson said she knew it would have a harder time passing in the House where members were concerned about an estimated price tag of more than $950,000 to make Juneteenth an annual, paid holiday for all state employees.

She says she was touched when, in the final hours of the most recent legislative session, Fairbanks Rep. Bill Stapp gave a speech saying he had changed his mind about the cost, agreeing with Gray-Jackson’s assertion that “you can’t put a price on freedom.”

“What Rep. Stapp had to say just touched my heart,” Gray-Jackson said. “Because he said it publicly, and that was the second time he said it publicly. And that means a lot.”

The bill passed the House in a vote of 37-3. It’s been on Gov. Dunleavy’s desk since June 13. So far, he hasn’t signed it into law. Instead, the governor released a proclamation Saturday recognizing the day’s importance with no mention of the bill.

In response to an Alaska’s News Source inquiry to whether the governor intends to sign the bill, a spokesman responded in an email.

“As with all bills passed by the legislature, the Governor will decide whether to sign, veto, or allow a bill to go into law without his signature after a careful review of the legislation.”

Gray-Jackson remains optimistic.

“I’m not worried about it because I feel confident that the Governor is going to sign the bill,” she said.

But others are feeling less patient. Celeste Hodge Growden, President of the Alaska Black Caucus, said she had hoped the governor would have signed the bill by now and certainly by June 19, as recognized by the federal holiday.

She said signing the bill would show Dunleavy’s commitment to equity and diversity while recognizing the struggles and achievements of Black Americans.

“Having this legislation means the world to a lot of people,” Growden said. “And it’s important to recognize that it’s not just Black people that appreciate this legislation and this bill”

Gray-Jackson is waiting too, but says either way, it’s still a win.

“I’ll be disappointed that he didn’t sign it, but I’ll be happy that even if he doesn’t sign it, it will still be law,” Gray-Jackson said.

The governor has until early July to sign the bill, or it could go into effect without his signature 90 days later.