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House advances symbolic bill to rename Gulf; opponents call proposal misplaced priority
Summary
House Bill 2,700, a symbolic measure that would rename the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America' in state law, advanced out of committee of the whole after members debated its merits and priorities. Critics said it is a distraction from pressing issues; supporters said language matters for teaching patriotism.
House Bill 2,700, a proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” in state statutes, received a do‑pass recommendation from the committee of the whole on Feb. 27 after partisan floor remarks about the measure’s purpose and priority.
“Thank you. With all due respect to the bill sponsor, it is not a great bill. This bill is very silly,” Representative De Los Santos said during floor debate, urging colleagues to vote no and calling the proposal a poor use of legislative time. De Los Santos also cited polling referenced on the floor, saying the measure was “opposed by 71% of Americans.”
Sponsor Representative Martinez said language and civic education matter and framed the bill as a way to teach patriotism. “I do think words matter. I do think language is important,” Martinez said. He added that if the president of the United States were to rename the body of water, “the state of Arizona will support that.”
After brief closing remarks by the sponsor and no recorded roll‑call objections, members approved the committee report that recommended the bill do pass. The action advances the measure to engrossing for further consideration; it remains a symbolic change at the state‑statute level and does not change federal or geographic nomenclature.
The discussion highlighted political and symbolic uses of state legislation, with members on both sides using floor time to make larger points about legislative priorities and civic messaging.
