Rogers Pushes to Rename SR260 in Honor of Donald Trump

In the current Arizona legislative session, Senator Wendy Rogers [R-District 7] has introduced Arizona Senate Concurrent Memorial 1001, which advocates for the naming of State Route 260 as the Donald J. Trump Highway. This initiative was officially submitted on December 16.

Memorials are nonbinding resolutions, meaning they do not alter state laws.

On January 8, Rogers emphasized her commitment to the cause with a tweet, responding to a user who supported Trump’s earlier proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico. “I’m also running a bill in the Arizona Senate to rename State Route 260 to be the ‘Donald J. Trump Highway,’” she stated.

Trump’s remarks on January 7 called for changing the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America, which he described as “a beautiful name.” U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene [R-Ga.] expressed her intent to draft legislation for this name change following Trump’s announcement.

However, any name change made by the U.S. government would not compel other nations to adopt it.

Greene advocated for the funding necessary to update federal maps, targeting agencies such as the FAA and military to ensure consistency.

Rogers’ memorial presented several arguments for renaming the highway after Trump. It highlighted Trump as the first Republican presidential nominee since George W. Bush to win the popular vote in 2004. Additionally, it cited his proposals for a nongovernmental “Department of Government Efficiency” and his support for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

In the memorial, Rogers noted, “President Trump’s energy plan includes several ambitious policy prescriptions designed to establish American energy dominance…while ensuring meaningful environmental protection.”

The Arizona Senate, led by a Republican majority of 17-13, along with a 33-27 lead in the House, will consider SCM 1001. Should it pass, the bill will require approval from Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who has a history of vetoing legislation, having rejected 143 bills in 2023 and 73 in 2024.

State Route 260 spans 193 miles from Cottonwood through Payson, Heber-Overgaard, and Show Low, concluding in Eager.

Previously, Rogers attempted to rename State Route 260 after Trump in 2021 with SCM 1003, but the proposal did not advance past the committee stage.