page_title: Passage of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
section_title: Illinois
hierarchical_section_title: Passage of Martin Luther King Jr. Day / History / State / Illinois
caption_attribution_description: English: Mayor of Chicago and Congressman Harold Washington, c. 1982
context_page_description: A United States federal statute honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and his work in the civil rights movement with a federal holiday was enacted by the 98th United States Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983, creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The final vote in the House of Representatives on August 2, 1983 was 338–90 with 5 members voting present or abstaining, while the final vote in the Senate on October 19, 1983 was 78–22, both veto-proof margins.
  Prior to 1983 there had been multiple attempts following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to have a holiday created in his honor with Representative John Conyers introducing legislation in every legislative session from 1968 to 1983. In 1979 a vote was held on legislation that would have created a holiday on the third Monday in January, but it failed to receive two-thirds support and was later rescinded following an amendment changing its date.
  While attempts were made to have a federally recognized holiday, numerous U.S. states recognized holidays in honor of King. Connecticut did so in 1973.
context_section_description: In 1969 Harold Washington, then a state representative from the 26th district, introduced a bill to create a holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. On April 9, 1969 the House executive committee voted to advance the bill, both state legislative chambers voted in favor of the bill and Governor Richard B. Ogilvie signed the bill creating a commemorative holiday in honor of King that would allow school services to be held in his honor.
  In 1970 Representative Washington proposed a bill to make the commemorative holiday a paid legal holiday but was unsuccessful.  In 1971 Washington reintroduced the bill and it passed the house with 121 to 15 in favor and the senate with 37 to 7 in favor, but was vetoed by Governor Ogilvie. In 1972 the Chicago Public Schools system started to observe King's birthday.
  In January 1973 Washington, Susan Catania, and Peggy Martin reintroduced the bill in the House along with Senator Cecil A. Partee. On April 4, 1973, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 114 to 15 in favor of the bill, the Illinois Senate later voted in favor of it as well, and on September 17, 1973 Governor Dan Walker signed the bill.
caption: Illinois representative, Harold Washington
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