Latest news with #HB247
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Gulf of America' bill gets Alabama Senate committee approval in hastily-called meeting
Sen. Jay Hovey, R-Auburn, stands on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 1, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Hovey, who changed his vote, said Wednesday that he was concerned about the fiscal note, but that he was told it would not significantly impact the state's budget. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' passed in a last-minute scheduled committee meeting that lasted just over three minutes. HB 247, sponsored by Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, previously failed to pass the Senate County and Municipal Committee Tuesday after Sen. Jay Hovey, R-Auburn, voted against the measure, resulting in a 4-4 tie. He said in the meeting he had an issue with the fiscal note when he voted against the bill, and he didn't know it would end up in a tie. With only Republican senators present at the meeting, the bill passed on a 6-0 vote. 'We're in the middle of the waning days of our session and still have a lot of unfinished business. We got a significant education package of bills still out there looming. We just passed a lovely set of tax reform, tax relief bills in a committee earlier, so we still had a lot on our plate,' Hovey said, adding that he didn't think it was a high priority bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill's fiscal note states it would increase 'administrative obligations' of state and local governments, but it does not state the amount. Hovey said Wednesday that he has 'been assured' that it would 'affect the state's coffers minimally.' 'And so, I do have the opportunity to change my vote, and I would like to call for that vote,' he said. The legislation, which passed the House on April 18, would have also mandated that reasonable efforts be made to update pre-existing resources, unless it imposes an operational or financial burden on the entities. An exception allowed the term 'Gulf of Mexico' to be used in academic instruction for historical purposes in public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico announced plans to change its name to the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in response to the bill and President Donald Trump's executive order. The bill moves to the Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to rename Gulf of Mexico ‘Gulf of America' fails in Alabama Senate committee
Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, points on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 30, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would have required Alabama to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' fail to pass an Alabama Senate committee Tuesday. HB 247, sponsored by Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden and called the Gulf of America Act, would have required all state and local entities and their employees to refer to the body of water as the 'Gulf of America,' following President Donald Trump's preference. 'We know the president did an executive order changing the name, and all the federal agencies are using that they've officially adopted, that the federal agencies have also since that time,' Standridge said to the committee, adding that some states have moved to change the name. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legislation, which passed the House on April 18, would have also mandated that reasonable efforts be made to update pre-existing resources, unless it imposes an operational or financial burden on the entities. An exception allowed the term 'Gulf of Mexico' to be used in academic instruction for historical purposes in public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. Democratic senators on the committee asked about the cost of implementing the name change. Senator Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, said the bill's fiscal note states it would increase 'administrative obligations' of state and local governments, but it does not state the amount. 'We're supposed to be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. So, do we have any idea how much of this is going to cost the taxpayers?' Coleman asked. Standridge said 'that is unknown' because the bill provides an exception if it would 'impose an operational or financial burden' on state and local government. The committee deadlocked on whether to report the bill on a 4-4 tie, effectively killing it. In response to the bill and President Donald Trump's executive order, the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico plans to change its name to the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. The move was first reported by Lagniappe Daily. 'This change reflects the museum's commitment to celebrating the rich history, ecology, and economic impact of this incredible body of water. Known by many names throughout its history, the Gulf has played a profound role in shaping the economy and culture of Mobile and other coastal communities from Texas to Florida,' said Karen Poth, executive director, in a statement on Tuesday. The museum plans to implement the change in stages, according to Jason Johnson, a spokesperson for the Museum. Physical printed materials will be updated as new orders are placed, and digital platforms are in the process of being changed. While the name change is not expected to create new costs for the museum, updates to signage could cost approximately $40,000. There are currently no plans to update the name in existing or developing exhibits due to the extensive costs involved. Future exhibits will use 'Gulf of America,' and an additional exhibit will reflect the name change and the Gulf's historical names. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida becomes first state to adopt 'Gulf of America.' Will Alabama be next?
Florida has become the first state to officially recognize the "Gulf of America" as the new name for the body of water, now formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico. 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@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Gulf of America: Will Alabama be next state to adopt new name?
