Governor extends Independence Day holiday for state workers

Gov. Ron DeSantis is giving employees of the state of Florida two additional days off next month, as the nation celebrates America 250.

State offices will be closed on Thursday, July 2, 2026, and Monday, July 6, 2026, he announced Friday.

This will give Florida’s 100,000 state employees more time to celebrate the nation’s independence.

“America’s 250th anniversary is a historic milestone and an opportunity to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and enduring principles that established the United States as the freest and most prosperous nation in the world,” DeSantis said.

Florida has been leaning into the historic America 250 occasion, as DeSantis points out.

“As Florida leads the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration, I am pleased to provide state employees additional time to celebrate our country’s founding, participate in America 250 events, and spend time with family and friends honoring the blessings of liberty that generations of Americans have fought to preserve,” DeSantis added.

DeSantis has said Florida was the “14th colony” at various points, and has framed the celebration as a way to remind Floridians of American history and the Sunshine State’s unique role from the beginning of the Republic.

As part of the celebration, DeSantis has made it a focus to procure statues of historic figures, which have been put on display throughout the state.

Many of them, but not all of them, have been American Presidents.

He also has frequently cited the Founding Fathers in speeches, none more than Benjamin Franklin and his memorable statement after the ratification of the Constitution that the then-fledgling country was a “Republic, if you can keep it.”