Latest news with #SB1058
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills renaming the Gulf of Mexico as ‘Gulf of America' go to the governor's desk
President Donald Trump recently changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. People visiting the gulf beach at Grand Isle State Park endorsed the switch. (Photo by Julie O'Donoghue/Louisiana Illuminator) The Florida Senate passed two bills on Wednesday that replace all references in state statutes to the Gulf of Mexico with the 'Gulf of America,' and those measures will now soon go to the governor's office for his likely signature. That's despite the fact that public opinion polls consistently show that the name change isn't popular with the public. One measure (SB 1058), sponsored by Sarasota Republican Joe Gruters, requires state agencies to update geographical materials to reflect the new federal designation of the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.' Public school and charter school instructional materials and library center collections adopted or acquired on or after July 1 of this year must reflect the new federal designation. The other proposal (HB 575) calls for all state and local references to the Gulf of Mexico to be changed to the 'Gulf of America,' and was sponsored in the Senate by Pinellas County Republican Nick DiCeglie. While Pinellas County Democrat Darryl Rouson make a joking reference when he asked whether DiCeglie would consider renaming the measure the 'Gulf of Americas' that would include North America, South America, Central America, and actress America Ferrera, South Florida Democrat Lori Berman didn't think it was a laughing matter at all. She called the legislation a 'waste of time,' saying that it 'would not improve the lives of our constituents, nor will it advance our state's economic, educational, or environmental policies.' 'We are spending taxpayer dollars and legislative time on a symbolic gesture, and offers no tangible benefits,' she said. 'We are prioritizing a superficial display of nationalism over the pressing needs of the district we represent.' DiCeglie responded by calling it a 'patriotic bill,' and a nod to American exceptionalism. The passage of these two bills follow President Donald Trump's an executive order in February replacing all federal references to the 'Gulf of Mexico' with the 'Gulf of America.' A Fox News survey of nearly 1,000 voters conducted last month showed that 67% opposed renaming the body of water located on the southeastern periphery of the North American continent. Other polls similarly show that the name change isn't popular. A majority of Florida respondents — 58% — said that they also oppose the idea strongly or somewhat, and only 31% expressed support for the renaming, according to a public opinion survey of 871 registered voters from the University of North Florida's Public Opinion Research Lab conducted in February. DeSantis began using the term 'Gulf of America' going back to an executive order he signed back in January. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida forges ahead with Gulf of America legislation
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida is moving toward becoming the first state to pass legislation conforming to the Trump administration's Gulf of America name switch. The issue has emerged as a GOP point of pride in the state, where Republicans seek to lead on compliance with the federal designation that some Democrats have contended makes Florida look like a 'laughingstock.' State senators advanced a bill Monday requiring Florida agencies and local schools to update geographic materials to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Similar proposals are on the cusp of final passage in the state House. 'As you've probably already noticed, apps we use every day have already made the change to Gulf of America,' said state Sen. Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami). 'Moving forward, it's important to update geographic and instructional school materials for Floridians.' Bridging the gulf: The legislation backed Monday by the Senate's education budget committee, SB 1058, calls on state agencies, school boards and charter schools to update books and other materials to reflect the Gulf of America change. This policy would be applied to any materials acquired on or after July 1, meaning schools would not have to immediately update all currently used books. For the 2027-2028 school year, Florida is set to adopt new social studies textbooks, and those would be required to include the Gulf of America. This measure is similar to a move by Louisiana officials to update state social studies standards starting next year to include the new language. At the same time, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order earlier this month aiming to replace the Gulf of Mexico name in documents, maps and other materials published by state agencies. The Florida Senate's bill is scheduled for one additional committee hearing, while a House version, HB 549, is now ready for consideration on the chamber floor. The House bill cleared its last committee last week amid opposition from Democrats, who claim the GOP-dominated Legislature's Gulf of America bills are 'arbitrary' and could ultimately require a fix under a president from a different party. To poke fun at the idea, one state House Democrat filed an amendment to rename Florida roads and other landmarks with Star Wars references in state law, switching 'Washington, D.C.,' to the 'Galactic Senate' in one instance. 'While right now it's hot to be Gulf of America … I think we need to prioritize our students being able to function in a world academic market,' said state Rep. Ashley Gantt (D-Miami), who opposed the House legislation. Republican lawmakers, though, suggest the proposals will 'make the Gulf great again.' They downplayed the changes by citing countries that have switched names in the past, with one referencing a quote from the TV show 'Seinfeld': 'You'll most likely know it as Myanmar, but it will always be Burma to me.' 'This isn't out of the historical norm,' said state Rep. Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville). 'It's consistent with federal law in the form of the executive order. If it changes in the future, it will change again. I don't understand all the angst.' Another gulf to cross: Another proposed Gulf of America bill would rename the body of water across 52 Florida statutes. This legislation, SB 608, is awaiting a final committee hearing in the Senate, while a companion bill, HB 575, is ready to be taken up on the House floor.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Florida, GOP lawmakers are wading into Donald Trump's Gulf of America
While Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the first leaders to embrace President Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, Florida Republican lawmakers now are eager to join the partisan chorus. Three different bills renaming the water body were debuted Tuesday before committees in the House and Senate. Republican supermajorities are expected to pass a law setting the name change for school instructional material, road signs and more before the Legislature adjourns in early May. 'The name is changed. It's now the Gulf of America,' Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, told a Senate panel. 'Listen, we want our kids to have the correct names of everything moving forward, and this is just a way to do that.' The Gruters bill (SB 1058) was the first of the gulf-renaming bills to clear Republican-dominated legislative committees, winning party-line approval in the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability panel. Democrats were against the name change. 'It just bothers me that we're even making this change, that we're wasting our time doing this,' said Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton. 'I don't think we have to fall prey to it … I guess it's a philosophical difference.' Republican lawmakers said they see it as a simple-to-enact, yet powerful bit of symbolism. The bill by Gruters, a former Trump campaign co-chair for Florida and endorsed by the president for the Florida Cabinet post of chief financial officer, doesn't order sign removal and replacement. Nor does the bill require school districts to replace immediately school books and maps failing to comply with the president's Jan. 20 executive order that sought to end 400 years of the water body being known as the Gulf of Mexico. Instead, like the other gulf bills in the House and Senate (HB 575, SB 608) the legislation envisions a gradual adaptation: 'When they purchase new materials, the name would have to be changed,' Gruters said. Polsky asked, 'What happens when we have a new president who has the sense to bring us back to the Gulf of Mexico? Do the textbooks have to be replaced?' Basically, yes, Gruters said. But he added that it was necessary to "use the proper name." The U.S. Department of the Interior says the Gulf of America name was effective for U.S. federal agencies on Jan. 24, although the change did not apply in an international context. DeSantis was quick to get on board with the president's name change, referring to the Gulf of America within two days of the White House order when issuing his own executive order involving a winter storm. Earlier this month, DeSantis and the Cabinet followed-up with a resolution directing all state agencies to update maps, records and publications to reflect the new designation. Florida has a 770-mile Gulf coast, so there's likely plenty of material that would need updating under the legislation advancing. DeSantis, early adapter... DeSantis is on board with Gulf of America executive order. He's already officially used it Trump, DeSantis are boundary busters... DeSantis and Trump share political playbook built on boundary-busting, defiance In the potential financial impact statement that legislation must carry in Florida, analysts declared that state and local governments would face 'insignificant, negative fiscal impact from updating official documents, websites, signage, publications, and other materials.' But for Florida Republicans, endorsing the president's geography lesson appears to be an important piece of symbolism, although one lawmaker acknowledged it can draw criticism. 'It's great to see that we're being brave to do this stuff when, you know, sometimes we get it from the public,' said Rep. Judson Sapp, R-Green Cove Springs. 'It really is important. It does represent that America's great and it really does tell the world that we believe that.' But Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami, was a 'no' vote in a House hearing on the bill. She explained her opposition with a phrase more commonly used in legislative battles over transgender rights. 'I want to point out that the Gulf of Mexico was assigned that name at birth,' Joseph said. John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network's Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@ Follow him on X: @JKennedyReport. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Republican lawmakers set sail on Gulf of America renaming
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Florida, GOP lawmakers are wading into Donald Trump's Gulf of America
While Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the first leaders to embrace President Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, Florida Republican lawmakers now are eager to join the partisan chorus. Three different bills renaming the water body were debuted Tuesday before committees in the House and Senate. Republican supermajorities are expected to pass a law setting the name change for school instructional material, road signs and more before the Legislature adjourns in early May. 'The name is changed. It's now the Gulf of America,' Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, told a Senate panel. 'Listen, we want our kids to have the correct names of everything moving forward, and this is just a way to do that.' The Gruters bill (SB 1058) was the first of the gulf-renaming bills to clear Republican-dominated legislative committees, winning party-line approval in the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability panel. Democrats were against the name change. 'It just bothers me that we're even making this change, that we're wasting our time doing this,' said Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton. 'I don't think we have to fall prey to it … I guess it's a philosophical difference.' Republican lawmakers said they see it as a simple-to-enact, yet powerful bit of symbolism. The bill by Gruters, a former Trump campaign co-chair for Florida and endorsed by the president for the Florida Cabinet post of chief financial officer, doesn't order sign removal and replacement. Nor does the bill require school districts to replace immediately school books and maps failing to comply with the president's Jan. 20 executive order that sought to end 400 years of the water body being known as the Gulf of Mexico. Instead, like the other gulf bills in the House and Senate (HB 575, SB 608) the legislation envisions a gradual adaptation: 'When they purchase new materials, the name would have to be changed,' Gruters said. Polsky asked, 'What happens when we have a new president who has the sense to bring us back to the Gulf of Mexico? Do the textbooks have to be replaced?' Basically, yes, Gruters said. But he added that it was necessary to "use the proper name." The U.S. Department of the Interior says the Gulf of America name was effective for U.S. federal agencies on Jan. 24, although the change did not apply in an international context. DeSantis was quick to get on board with the president's name change, referring to the Gulf of America within two days of the White House order when issuing his own executive order involving a winter storm. Earlier this month, DeSantis and the Cabinet followed-up with a resolution directing all state agencies to update maps, records and publications to reflect the new designation. Florida has a 770-mile Gulf coast, so there's likely plenty of material that would need updating under the legislation advancing. DeSantis, early adapter... DeSantis is on board with Gulf of America executive order. He's already officially used it Trump, DeSantis are boundary busters... DeSantis and Trump share political playbook built on boundary-busting, defiance In the potential financial impact statement that legislation must carry in Florida, analysts declared that state and local governments would face 'insignificant, negative fiscal impact from updating official documents, websites, signage, publications, and other materials.' But for Florida Republicans, endorsing the president's geography lesson appears to be an important piece of symbolism, although one lawmaker acknowledged it can draw criticism. 'It's great to see that we're being brave to do this stuff when, you know, sometimes we get it from the public,' said Rep. Judson Sapp, R-Green Cove Springs. 'It really is important. It does represent that America's great and it really does tell the world that we believe that.' But Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami, was a 'no' vote in a House hearing on the bill. She explained her opposition with a phrase more commonly used in legislative battles over transgender rights. 'I want to point out that the Gulf of Mexico was assigned that name at birth,' Joseph said. John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network's Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@ Follow him on X: @JKennedyReport. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Republican lawmakers set sail on Gulf of America renaming
CBS News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to use "Gulf of America" in all references and documents
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Roger Young said Wednesday he's issued an executive order to comply with President Donald Trump's move to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America." During a commission meeting at Florida State University, Young said he has directed staff members "to, as quickly as possible, update all of our references and commission materials, documents, rules and regulations to reflect the Gulf of America. This will keep us in line with all the (federal) regulations that are in place." State lawmakers, who will start the annual legislative session Tuesday, also have filed bills to carry out Trump's directions. One proposal (SB 608 and HB 575) would change references in state laws from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Another proposal (SB 1058 and HB 549) would require state agencies, county school districts and charter school boards to use materials that reflect the Gulf of America name. The Senate bill also calls for U.S. 41, from Miami-Dade County to Hillsborough County, to be designated as the "Gulf of America Trail."
