Illinois On Track To Create 'Obama Day' (But You'll Still Have To Go To Work)

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on May 19, 2017 9:21PM

McCormick Place (Photo by Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist)

Nary an Illinois Republican could find fault with a bill that officially proclaims Aug. 4 "Barack Obama Day" in the state. State lawmakers voted unanimously to give the former president his own day, and the bill now goes to Gov. Bruce Rauner's desk.

Earlier proposals for Barack Obama Day failed because they would actually have some bearing on the state budget. Many Republicans refused to vote for a bill that would give state workers and students the day off. Sorry, kids.

Rauner had also said he didn't want to sign any bill into law that would create a new state holiday, but he sounded amenable to a bill that wouldn't cost the state anything when discussing it previously, according to the Chicago Tribune.

"It's incredibly proud for Illinois that the president came from Illinois," Rauner said, when other similar bills failed. "I think it's awesome, and I think we should celebrate it."

The bill heralds Obama's work in his adopted home state as a state lawmaker and U.S. senator and says he "dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities."

Republicans had nice, if not exactly effusive, praise for Obama Day. Rep. Steve Andersson, R-Geneva told the Chicago Tribune, "He's the first African-American president. He deserves this honor."