Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is a federal, Missouri and county holiday.
The Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City (2019 file photo)
It’s also a holiday in many Missouri municipalities as well.
Dr. King was a leader in the Civil Rights movement, protesting racial discrimination. He advocated non-violence and was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis.
Most federal, state, county and city offices are closed today, with the exception of emergency services such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and county sheriff’s departments.
Police officers and firefighters are on-duty today, and corrections officers are working in Missouri prisons.
The Missouri Senate and House are not in session today, in observance of the holiday. Lawmakers will return to Jefferson City tomorrow, and both chambers will convene tomorrow afternoon at 4.
Most banks and financial institutions are closed, and there is no regular mail delivery today.
In 1983, then-U.S. Rep. Katie Hall (D-Indiana) proposed legislation 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.
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