A.G. Gancarski
One of President Donald Trump’s strongest allies in Tallahassee will carry a bill seeking to strike all references to the Gulf of Mexico from teaching materials
Sen. Joe Gruters’ legislation (SB 1058) would require School Boards to “adopt and acquire” materials using the Gulf of America name.
It would also name a highway after the freshly christened Gulf of America. The legislation would designate the portion of U.S. 41 between S.R. 60 and U.S. 1 in Miami-Dade, Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough counties as “the Gulf of America Trail.”
This is the second Senate bill to address the Gulf of America nomenclature.
Sen. Nick DiCeglie’s measure (SB 608), which was filed earlier this month, would change 92 statutory references in Florida law to refer to the body of water along Florida’s west coast as the Gulf of America.
Both bills have House companions.
Rep. Juan Porras is carrying the House version (HB 549) of Gruters’ bill. Rep. Tyler Sirois is sponsoring the House version (HB 575) of DiCeglie’s proposal.
Tallahassee Republicans have quickly embraced the new name for the body of water that was called the Gulf of Mexico without controversy until earlier this year.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is embracing the President’s preference regarding government documents, pushing for changes on behalf of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Simpson’s goal is to rename the body of water as the Gulf of America “as quickly as possible … in all department administrative rules, forms, maps, and resources.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis was the first state official to embrace the new name in an executive order declaring a State of Emergency over a Winter storm last month. That order said the inclement weather was headed to Florida across the “Gulf of America.”
The declaration came the same day Trump made the name change official in his own executive order.
Despite the unity demonstrated by Florida Republicans, the name change has been controversial in some quarters domestically and beyond.
The Associated Press hasn’t accepted the Gulf of America designation.
“The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences,” the news organization announced last month.
The AP has not been allowed at certain White House events in the wake of its decision, as the Trump administration has stood by the renaming of the body of water.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also rejects the name change, meanwhile, with her argument predicated on the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“If a country wants to change the designation of something in the sea, it would only apply up to 12 nautical miles. It cannot apply to the rest, in this case, the Gulf of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said, as reported by NPR.
10 comments
Michael K
February 24, 2025 at 4:02 pm
What a bunch of idiots. How much money will be wasted on this stunt? What’s next – a law requiring photos of Hair Furor to be posted in every business?
PeterH
February 24, 2025 at 4:10 pm
This is important?!?! Real conservatives don’t think so ….. but there are few real conservatives remaining in the Party of Trump.
ScienceBLVR
February 24, 2025 at 9:32 pm
Geo-nitwit Gruters.. never proposes bills that actually help Floridians. The voters in Sarasota deserve much better.
Harold Finch
February 25, 2025 at 10:31 am
This is absolutely absurd! What a waste of time, energy and finances! I am a Republican, but Grueters and Trump are both delusional idiots!
MH/Duuuval
February 25, 2025 at 11:02 am
There is no end to MAGAs abasing themselves for the malevolent glow of Trump’s approval.
Such folk were called jesters way back in the day. Florida crackers call it “playing the fool.”
Chuck Anziulewicz
February 25, 2025 at 12:19 pm
And they SAY it isn’t a cult.
The Cat In The MAGA Hat
February 25, 2025 at 2:33 pm
It not gonna stop a Cat 5 Hurricane on July 7th in Tallahassee
Sara de Soto
February 25, 2025 at 6:58 pm
I will call Tamiami Trail the Gulf of America Trail right after I call the Purple Cow the Van Wezel.
Hugo Yersef
February 26, 2025 at 11:36 am
Proud American thinks, why stop there? Call every place; America. Think of the rising tests scores in geography! Apparently, history, boundaries, and significant names do not matter, so let’s throw out tons of money to change instructional materials, signs, and historical prevalence and in 4 years we can spend money to change it back. When are politicians are going to spend our hard-earned money on real problems to our area like the traffic congestion crisis and affordable living? Instead, they choose sycophantic cosmetic ideas to waste our money. Can we at least call Red Tide, “Orange tide of America”, “Trump Tide”, or “Stormy Daniels Bathwater”?
Hugo Y.
Kenora, Canada/Sarasota, FL
Proud American happy to have the Gulf named after the inhabitants of Canada, United States, and Mexico. News Flash- we all call ourselves, Americans.
FLPatriot
March 3, 2025 at 11:58 am
Toolbag just wants to waste taxpayer money. Get rid of him.
Comments are closed.