Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Wed., Oct. 14, signed into a law a bill designating Juneteenth as a formal public holiday in New York. The day marks the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday is celebrated annually on June 19, the anniversary of the day when a Union Army general rode into Texas to take control of the state with federal troops and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. New York previously observed Juneteenth as a "day of commemoration" called Juneteenth Freedom Day since 2004. This year Cuomo, through an executive order, declared the day a holiday, closing state offices. Spurred on by protests and demonstrations against racism and policing, state lawmakers this summer introduced measures to expand the day to a full public holiday. Texas was the first state to adopt Juneteenth as an official holiday and 46 states now have some sort of commemoration for the day. Juneteenth festivals are also observed locally. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.