By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
State lawmakers gave final approval on May 6 to require that Arizona high schoolers be taught that the body of water from Florida all the way around to the Yucatan be called the Gulf of America. The last word now belongs to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
House Bill 2700 was crafted by Rep. Theresa Martinez in the wake of the edict by President Trump renaming what for centuries has been called here — and is still called elsewhere — the Gulf of Mexico.
“It’s important to start teaching pro-America to our students,” the Casa Grande Republican said in crafting the measure and pushing it through the House with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed. “What better way to promote a patriotic country and teach children about patriotism than to start calling it Gulf of America and taking pride in that?”
