Illinois Could Get it’s First New Holiday in Forty Years

The idea of getting another day off every year is fresh in everyone's mind as some of us are still recovering from our Super Bowl food comas and hangovers.

In case you didn't hear, the Heinz Company actually started a petition to get the Monday after the Super Bowl off, calling it "Smunday." Unfortunately, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, they weren't successful in their endeavor, but hey, there's always next year.

That might be what Illinois lawmakers thought last year when their efforts to pass a bill to make Barack Obama's birthday a recognized holiday in the state of Illinois failed.

According to DNA Info, now that Obama is out of office, Rep. André Thapedi believes there's a better chance that a bill to make his birthday, August 4th, a holiday, will have a better chance of passing.

Should it pass, it would be the first new state holiday in 40 years; giving schools and state offices a day off on the Monday after Obama's birthday; and businesses a choice to remain open.

The bill is currently being debated in the Illinois House and Senate.