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Senate committee approves House Bill 247 to rename Gulf of Mexico for state purposes
Summary
A Senate panel voted to approve House Bill 247, which would direct that, for the state of Alabama's purposes, the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America; senators cited minimal fiscal impact and referred the bill onward.
A Senate committee on [date not specified] voted to approve House Bill 247, which, as presented to the panel, would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf Of America” for the state of Alabama’s purposes.
Senator Hovia, who spoke during debate, said he had voted against the measure the previous day but changed his position after receiving additional information about the bill’s fiscal effects. “I voted against this yesterday. Did not know that was gonna wind up in a tie vote but I took a little bit of issue with the fiscal note on this, this, this bill,” Hovia said. He added that he “has been assured after the fact that it would, you know, affect our state's coffers minimally,” and asked that the earlier vote be changed.
The committee took a roll-call vote after the motion to reconsider and passed the measure. The motion to approve was made by Senator Carnley and seconded by Senator Albritton. Senators recorded as voting “aye” in the transcript were Albritton, Carnley, Gudger, Hovey, Kelly, Chambliss and Elliott. The chair stated, “Bill receives a federal report,” and adjourned the committee.
The debate recorded in the transcript focused on the bill’s priority and an apparent discrepancy or lack of detail in the bill’s fiscal note rather than statutory wording of the renaming. Hovia referenced the President’s “America First” platform and an executive order on the subject when explaining his change of position, saying he “appreciate[s] the President's America First platform and recognize[s] and respect[s] his executive order.”
Votes at a glance: House Bill 247 — Motion by Senator Carnley; second by Senator Albritton. Recorded roll-call votes (from transcript): Albritton (aye), Carnley (aye), Gudger (aye), Hovey (aye), Kelly (aye), Chambliss (aye), Elliott (aye). Tally recorded in the transcript: 7 yes, 0 no (other members’ recorded votes not specified). The chair announced, “Bill receives a federal report.”
The transcript does not specify the bill’s next legislative step, the full text of the measure beyond the renaming language, or a final effective date. Representative Standridge was briefly mentioned by the chair at adjournment; the transcript does not record additional comments by Standridge on the bill.
