1 week Ago
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has taken another step toward formally renaming the Gulf of Mexico on state maps and documents. Senate Bill 1717, which finally passed the Texas Senate 20-11 this week, follows President Donald Trump's January executive order that directed federal agencies to change the name of the body of water to the "Gulf of America" on federal maps. But on the Senate floor on Thursday, some Texas Democrats said the bill sets an unstable precedent.
"We're going to change it depending on who is the Legislature here, to the whim of whoever is elected to office at that time?" State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen) asked. "This is not a whim, senator.
Not a whim," replied State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), the author of SB 1717. "I respectfully disagree with you," Hinojosa said.
"If we're going to be changing historical names just because the person in power doesn't like [it], it doesn't really give stability to the history that we look at to provide guidance as who we are today and who we are in the future." SB 1717 now heads to the Texas House for consideration..
