Erasing the Gulf of Mexico from state laws and educational materials won Florida House approval Thursday.
The Republican-controlled House passed two bills along party lines to carry out President Donald Trump’s directive to rename the gulf as the Gulf of America.
Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, a Miami Republican who sponsored a bill (HB 549) about updating school materials and state geographic materials to reflect the name change, said the proposal isn’t rewriting history.
“The new designation is much more than a simple name change,” Porras said. “It is a declaration that the United States is a global leader in the vanguard of democracy of the free world.”
But Rep. Felicia Robinson, D-Miami Gardens, said the proposal “prioritizes political messaging.”
“It should not be allowed for one person, whether they’re our president or not, to change history with just a few spoken words,” Robinson said.
Porras’ bill, in part, would require county school boards and charter-school governing boards to begin purchasing instructional and library materials that reflect the Gulf of America name as collections are scheduled for updates or new acquisitions.
The House voted 78-29 to pass Porras’ bill.
It also voted 78-27 to pass a bill (HB 575) that would change the name of the Gulf in 52 sections of state laws.
Rep. Meg Weinberger, a Palm Beach Gardens Republican who co-sponsored the bill on revamping state laws, called the changes a “powerful step that puts America first” that show support for “our favorite president.”
But Rep. Mike Gottlieb, D-Davie, said the changes will render historical documents “obsolete.”
“We must recognize that place names hold the weight of historical context,” Gottlieb said. “History must be taught with accuracy and integrity, not to place blame, but to ensure we understand where we have been and how we can avoid repeating our darkest moments.”
Similar bills in the Senate (SB 1058 and SB 608) await floor votes.
State agencies have already been undertaking the changes.
In February, for example, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive director Roger Young issued an executive order to update materials, documents, rules and regulations to reflect the Gulf of America.
The body of water has been identified as the Gulf of Mexico since the 1550s.
The name change was included in a Jan. 20 Trump executive order titled, “Restoring names that honor American greatness.”
“The area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America,” the order said.
The directive ordered the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to reflect the change on agency maps, contracts and documents.
