Monday January 15th is the observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

The Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City

It is a federal, Missouri, and county holiday. It’s also a holiday in many Missouri municipalities as well.

Most federal, state, county and city offices will be closed on Monday, with the exception of emergency services like police and fire, as well as county Sheriff’s departments and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Corrections employees will be working Monday in Missouri prisons.

The Missouri Senate and House will not be in session on Monday, in observance of the holiday. The Senate and House both convene Tuesday afternoon at 4 in Jefferson City.

Most banks and financial institutions are closed, and there will be no regular mail delivery on Monday.

Dr. King was a leader in the Civil Rights movement, protesting racial discrimination. He advocated non-violence, and was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis.

In 1983, then-Congresswoman Katie Hall (D-Indiana) proposed a bill to create a federal holiday honoring Dr. King. Then-President Ronald Reagan (R) signed it into law that year, and it was first observed in January 1986.