Barack Obama’s birthday will continue to be just another day in the state of Illinois after House legislators rejected making his birthday a state holiday.
Legislation to make the 44th president’s Aug. 4th birthday a state holiday (bill HB503) fell six votes short Tuesday with a vote of 54-57.
Chicago Democratic Rep. Sonya Harper said the legislation 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.
He noted that Tampico native and 40th president Ronald Reagan’s Feb. 6th birthday also isn’t a holiday.