Barack Obama Is Getting A Holiday
The holiday will be celebrated each year starting in 2018.
Alex Wong/Getty
It's only been seven months since Former President Barack Obama left office, and already he will have his own state holiday.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner officially declared Aug. 4 (Obama's birthday) "Barack Obama Day" in the state, according to NBC Chicago. The holiday will be celebrated each year starting in 2018.
The new holiday will be "observed throughout the State as a day set apart to honor the 44th President of the United States of America who began his career serving the People of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities."
Democratic efforts to make Obama's birthday a "legal" state holiday raised concerns with some lawmakers because other presidents, like Reagan, do not have the same holiday standards. A "legal" state holiday would require schools and offices to close, but not state banks or other businesses.
Despite some lawmakers declining from voting on the bill, it passed both houses without a single vote against the bill.
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