Has Republican State Rep. Mike Cunningham Proposed a Bill to Save Christmas?

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., Dec. 16 2009 at 12:04 PM

Categories: Politics

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The Missouri House of Representatives in Jefferson City

Missouri formally recognizes only four public holidays. Martin Luther King Day and Columbus Day, you're already familiar with. Jefferson Day (April 13) or Lincoln Day (February 12), perhaps not.

And that's it. Bo-ring!

But Republican state representative Mike Cunningham of Rogersville (near Springfield) has prefiled a little piece of legislation for the coming session that would add the following to our public holiday statute: "...and the twenty-fifth of December is known as Christmas."

Not boring!

It would also recognize other favorites such as:

New Year's Day
Washington's Birthday
Easter
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
Independence Day
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving Day
Truman Day

house.mo.gov/member.aspx?year=2010&district=145

Rep. Mike Cunningham of Rogersville

Cunningham says he's filed similar bills for the last four or five years, but they've never passed because of the fear that it's a "Christmas bill in disguise." So...is it?

"It could be interpreted that way," says Cunningham, who adds that he's a Protestant by faith. Still, he insists that his bill "pertains to all holidays."

His measure would simply require schools and any other institution that accepts state funds to refer to traditional holidays by their traditional name, he says.

"I think when Jay Leno talks to the man on the street and he asks what the Fourth of July is and they don't know, that's pretty pathetic."

(Kudos to Arch City Chronicle for noticing the pre-filing earlier this week).