TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida is moving toward becoming the first state to pass legislation conforming to the Trump administration’s Gulf of America name switch.
The issue has emerged as a GOP point of pride in the state, where Republicans seek to lead on compliance with the federal designation that some Democrats have contended makes Florida look like a “laughingstock.” State senators advanced a bill Monday requiring Florida agencies and local schools to update geographic materials to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Similar proposals are on the cusp of final passage in the state House.
“As you’ve probably already noticed, apps we use every day have already made the change to Gulf of America,” said state Sen. Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami). “Moving forward, it’s important to update geographic and instructional school materials for Floridians.”
Bridging the gulf: The legislation backed Monday by the Senate’s education budget committee, SB 1058, calls on state agencies, school boards and charter schools to update books and other materials to reflect the Gulf of America change. This policy would be applied to any materials acquired on or after July 1, meaning schools would not have to immediately update all currently used books.
