Missouri House gives nod to honor original patriots

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The House passed legislation Thursday designating April 19 as "Patriots Day" to mark the start of the American Revolution.

Sponsoring Rep. Bill Boucher, D-Kansas City, said he wants school children to spend the day honoring the people who fought for the country's independence.

The war's opening shots were fired on the morning of April 19, 1775, in a skirmish between colonial militiamen and British troops at Lexington, Mass.

The timing of the House vote raised joking concerns from at least one lawmaker who noted that the similarly named New England Patriots had recently defeated the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl. The bill now moves to the Senate.

The Patriots Day bill is HB1519.