Representative Standridge’s bill to recognize the 'Gulf of America' advances amid history objections

Representative Standridge introduced HB 2 to the Senate committee on Wednesday, saying the measure would recognize the "Gulf of America" as the official name for the Gulf and bring state usage in line with a presidential executive order and actions taken by other states.

Standridge told the committee the name has already been recognized by federal agencies and that Florida and Louisiana have taken steps to adopt the same name. "It's the same exact bill that was in this committee last year," he said, and he described work with stakeholders to refine the language.

The bill drew objections from Senator Coleman Madison, who argued the change risked erasing parts of regional history. "It seems like we are trying to rewrite history," she said, adding that schoolchildren deserve to "know the truth." Coleman Madison questioned whether states such as New Mexico had been consulted and warned the change could be seen as denying historical facts.

Standridge and supporters pointed to executive action and parallel steps by other states as justification for consistency in state materials, school curriculum and signage.

A motion for a favorable report was made (moved from the floor by Senator Connolly and seconded by Senator Chambliss) and the committee proceeded to roll call. The committee announced that HB 2 "receives a federal report." The transcript does not record a detailed roll-call tally tied to named individual votes in an auditable mapping.

Why it matters: the bill would change the official name used in state documents, education and parks. Supporters say consistency with federal naming avoids confusion; critics say it substitutes political naming for historical description.

The committee’s next recorded action was to forward the bill with a federal report to the next step in the legislative process.