New Jersey lawmaker proposes legislation renaming Delaware Bay to 'The Bay of New Jersey'

A New Jersey Republican has proposed regulation to change the Delaware Bay to The Bay of New Jersey appearing to be inspired by President Donald Trump's executive order changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America The measure introduced Thursday by GOP state Sen Michael Testa would order state agencies to use The Bay of New Jersey in publications signage websites and materials to reflect the new designation and notify relevant federal entities NJ com informed I look at the robust fishing industry - commercial fishing industry and recreational industry of the State of New Jersey he advised the outlet I think that the fact that we have to call the bay that we fish in the Delaware Bay - they ve had a claim to that long enough Testa represents Cape May County which the bay borders MEXICO SUES GOOGLE FOR CHANGING 'GULF OF MEXICO' TO 'GULF OF AMERICA' AFTER TRUMP'S ORDER It s time to Make New Jersey Great Again Testa wrote on X The bay is a vital body of water for New Jersey tourism commerce and excursion that has had the name of its southern neighbor since according to the Delaware authorities s website and was named after the third baron de la Warr Thomas West who governed the Virginia colony The proposed ordinance comes after Trump signed an order in January renaming the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America The body of water has shared borders between the U S and Mexico and Trump s order only carries authority within the U S Last month U S House Republicans passed the Gulf of America Act marking the first step in codifying Trump's order in the U S The bill is now awaiting consideration in the Senate GOOGLE MAPS FAA OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION ISN T IT BEAUTIFUL 'Trump's order also prompted Connecticut Gov Ned Lamont a Democrat to jokingly suggest amending the Long Island Sound to the Connecticut Sound While the maps are changing here s an idea Lamont posted on X in February tagging New York Democrat Gov Kathy Hochul with an altered map with the sound renamed Another bill Testa introduced this week seeks to reclaim a slice of land along Salem County s shore claimed by Delaware in a decades-old territory line agreement with New Jersey according to NJ com