Rauner commemorates 13th Amendment ratification anniversary

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has issued a proclamation commemorating the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment.

The proclamation coincides with a ceremony in the Illinois Senate on Tuesday that featured the Lincoln Land Community College choir and a reenactment of a speech written by a Civil War veteran.

The Illinois Senate also has passed a resolution establishing February as 13th Amendment Ratification Month.

The amendment abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude and followed Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation in the efforts to outlaw the practice.

Rauner's announcement recognizes Illinois' role as the first state to adopt the amendment in 1865.

The measure proclaims the anniversary will serve as a "reminder to future generations of the sacrifices made to abolish slavery and establish equality."