Committee recommends recognition of Good Friday as half‑day state holiday

A committee voted to favorably recommend a bill to recognize state holy days and make Good Friday a partial state holiday with four hours of paid leave for state employees.

Senator Stratton (S6) presented the measure and yielded the floor to a pastor who framed the proposal in historical and religious terms. The sponsor said the bill invites K–12 and higher‑education entities to consider aligning academic calendars with state holy days, makes Good Friday a state holiday with four hours of paid leave for state employees, and preserves local discretion for employers and LEAs.

Representatives asked whether employees at LEA institutions would be required to get the day off; the sponsor said LEAs set their own calendars and the bill prioritizes approving personal‑leave requests on state holy days but does not create a private‑right‑of‑action. The fiscal analyst’s summary and committee discussion indicated that the bill is not a direct fiscal appropriation but could have productivity impacts that the committee discussed in terms of deferred outputs.

Multiple faith leaders and citizens testified in support, saying a half‑day holiday would let families and worship communities observe the day and that other states have forms of Good Friday recognition. Representative Shallenberger and others framed the bill as a civility measure and a gesture of respect for religious practice; Representative Owens noted constitutional considerations and emphasized the importance of protecting religious liberty while accommodating religious observance.

The committee voted to favorably recommend the first substitute; the transcript records the clerk announcing the tally in a way that reads as "8 7 to 1" in the record. The motion was advanced to the next stage.