Florida becomes first state to adopt 'Gulf of America.' Will Alabama be next?
On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed bills HB575 and HB549 into law, making the name change official in both state legislation and public school textbooks.
With Florida leading the way, the question now is whether it will become a requirement in neighboring states like Alabama to follow suit or if the state will keep its options open. Here's what we know.
This decision follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and changed the name of Denali, a mountain in Alaska, to McKinley to honor President William McKinley. The executive order was titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness."
Alabama House Bill 247 (HB247) was introduced on Feb. 11, 2025, by Rep. David Standridge to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" in the borders of Alabama.
The bill would mandate that all state and local government entities refer to the body of water as the "Gulf of America" in any newly created documents, maps, websites or educational materials.
The changes would be updated to existing material so long as it is not a financial burden.
The changes would take effect on July 1, 2025, if the bill is signed into law.
As of Feb. 20, the bill was read for a second time and put on the legislative calendar to be considered by the House Committee on Ports, Waterways & Intermodal Transit.
If the committee approves the bill, the bill would be sent to the House for debate and a vote.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Gulf of America: Will Alabama be next state to adopt new name?
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