Monday January 16th is the observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
The Missouri State Capitol (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal, state and county holiday.
Most federal, state, county and municipal offices are closed Monday, except emergency services like police and fire protection, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Corrections employees will be working in prisons.
The Missouri Legislature is not in session on Monday, in observance of the holiday. Banks and financial institutions are closed, and there is no regular mail delivery.
Dr. King was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, protesting racial discrimination. He advocated non-violence, and was assassinated in 1968.
In 1983, then-Congresswoman Katie Hall (D) of Indiana proposed a bill to create a federal holiday honoring Dr. King. Republican President Ronald Reagan signed it that year and it was first observed in January 1986.
The holiday is observed on the third Monday in January each year.