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Committee advances bill to rename Gulf of Mexico as ‘Gulf of America’; amendment limits school change
Summary
The Ports, Waterways & Intermodal Transit Committee voted to give HB247 a favorable report after adding an amendment that exempts certain educational references and delays the effective date to Oct. 1, 2025.
Representative Standridge introduced HB247, which would change state references to the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” and add protections to limit financial burdens on state and local entities.
The bill drew objections from several committee members who said the proposed name change would raise legal, international and logistical questions and divert attention from other priorities. Representative Rolanda Hollis called the proposal “a waste of our time,” citing needs such as hunger and homelessness. Representative Clark asked whether the sponsor considered a nonbinding resolution rather than a…
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