Milk Holiday Proposed For California

California Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-SF) is planning to introduce a bill that would declare May 22 "Harvey Milk Day." The bill would make the day a non-fiscal state holiday in which government workers and school children would not have the day off. Leno's effort is thought to be the first in history that would establish a statewide holiday to honor a gay rights activist.

Milk would have been 78 years old on May 22nd this year. The last new state holiday added to the California schedule came in 2000 when March 31st was proclaimed "Cesar Chavez Day," which is a paid holiday for state workers and day off for school kids.