Gulf of America proposals find smooth sailing in GOP-controlled Tallahassee

Image via AP.

Panels in both the Senate and the House are advancing bills to help President Donald Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico float in the Sunshine State.

The House Government Operations Subcommittee moved forward Rep. Tyler Sirois’ legislation (HB 575). And the Senate Community Affairs Committee advanced identical legislation from Sen. Nick DiCeglie (SB 608).

The bills 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.

Sirois told the House panel that his bill is “consistent with federal action.” But a partisan divide emerged.

“It’s great to see we’re being brave doing this stuff,” said Republican Rep. Judson Sapp.

Ranking Democrat Dotie Joseph was less bullish, saying the “Gulf of Mexico was assigned that name at birth.” (That said, the Mayans called it Chactemal, before Spanish conquest determined the name many use to this day).

In the Senate hearing, Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo asked about costs of implementation; the sponsor noted that statute is changed every year and this would just be part of that.

The Senate President and the sponsor celebrated the bill’s advancement.

“There is no doubt that America is the greatest country in the history of the world, full stop,” said Senate President Ben Albritton. “President Trump has led the charge on ensuring that we honor, not diminish, American greatness. Florida is proud to stand with our President and rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.”

“We are proud to follow President Trump’s lead and recognize American exceptionalism by renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America,” DiCeglie added. “This vital body of water is critical to the way of life in Pinellas County, and by updating Florida Statutes to embrace the Gulf of America we are recognizing the importance of the gulf to all Floridians.”

Meanwhile, the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee took on a pared down version of Sen. Joe Gruters’ bill (SB 1058).

The legislation proposed designating 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.” But Gruters offered a strike-all amendment to remove the “unnecessary distraction.”

The proposal still has teeth though. It will require School Boards to “adopt and acquire” materials using the Gulf of America name and to “update geographical materials for Floridians.”

Even a slimmed-down, “better” bill raised questions from Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky, who wondered if new maps would have to be purchased by school districts in light of the new name. Gruters confirmed that they would not.

Despite her perception that the bill is better, she still believes the measure is a “waste of time” and is against the bill. But it advanced anyway.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Gruters gave credit to the President.

“President Trump has made it clear, the Golden Age of America is here. The President has yet again given us a wonderful opportunity to honor American greatness, and we are standing with President Trump. By teaching our future generations the fact of American exceptionalism, we are supporting the next wave of true American patriots.”

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 backing 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 use 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.

While there’s more controversy outside Tallahassee (The Associated Press and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum haven’t accepted the Gulf of America designation), that’s not germane to the legislative process in the Sunshine State.