The Alabama Senate County and Municipal Government Committee passed House Bill 2 on Tuesday, legislation that would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” under Alabama law.
The bill, sponsored by State Representative David Standridge, R-Hayden, was inspired by one of the first executive orders issued by President Donald Trump after his return to office in 2025, when he ordered that the body of water be renamed across all federal agencies. Standridge told the committee Tuesday that both Florida and Louisiana now refer to the Gulf as the “Gulf of America” as well.
Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, argued that the name change has no historical basis and could be seen as an attempt by Republican lawmakers to miseducate Alabama schoolchildren.
“It seems like we’re trying to rewrite history,” Coleman-Madison said. “School kids need to know the truth… it’s an effort to not tell the whole story about history.”
Standridge responded by saying that the bill was simply seeking to bring the state into compliance with the federal government and neighboring Republican-led states, and argued that it was Alabama’s right to name the body of water as it sees fit.
“If you’re sovereign and you border that body of water, then you have a right to name that,” Standridge said.
Standridge did not acknowledge that the sovereign country of Mexico also borders the Gulf, nor did he acknowledge that the body of water is still known as the Gulf of Mexico internationally.
“I guess we’re going to change history, rewrite history by executive order,” Coleman-Madison responded. “Kids growing up won’t know what to believe.”
The committee went on to pass the bill without further discussion. Coleman-Madison and Senator Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, were the only lawmakers present to vote against the legislation.
Having already passed in the House of Representatives, HB2 now only requires passage on the Senate floor before it can go to the desk of Governor Kay Ivey.
