(JACKSON, Miss.) - The sponsor of a bill that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" says all the people outraged about the proposal have missed its satirical intent.
State Rep. Steve Holland, a populist Democrat known for over-the-top gestures, said Thursday the measure is meant to mock other bills that would crack down on illegal immigration.
At least six such bills have already been assigned for committee consideration in the state's current legislative session.
Holland says it appears that the "people of Mississippi have elected a majority group to govern that wants to slam all minorities and especially Hispanic." He adds he thinks such legislation is un-Christian.
Such bills have died in a Democratic-controlled Mississippi House in previous years, but Republicans won control of the chamber last November.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
