Illinois House votes against making Obama birthday a holiday

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Illinois House votes against making Obama birthday a holiday

Mar. 21, 2017 6:44 PM EDT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Barack Obama's name is revered in his home state. But the Illinois House has rejected making his birthday a state holiday.

Legislation to make the 44th president's Aug. 4th birthday a state holiday fell six votes short Tuesday. Chicago Democratic Rep. Sonya Harper says it would honor a man who adopted Chicago as his home and served in the Illinois State Senate.

But Rep. Steven Andersson of Geneva suggested it be honorary. The Republican floor leader says even Obama wouldn't want the cash-strapped state to give state workers another paid day off.

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Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2a4faf8ac6144f86a2e3d48bbbd8eeee/illinois-house-votes-against-making-obama-birthday-holiday

[shenmue]

1. Paid day off, my ass

The Repubs don't want the holiday because he was black.

[briv1016]

2. Similar to how people can't appear on currency until after they're dead,

a person's birthday shouldn't be a holiday while they're still having them. Plus, the full magnitude of his presidency won't be known for several decades.

[rzemanfl]

3. It's my birthday too. n/t