New Maryland bill would rename ‘Indian Head Highway’ to ‘President Barack Obama Highway’
State senators in Maryland recently introduced legislation that seeks to rename Indian Head Highway after former President Obama.
Senate Bill 213, introduced by Democratic state Sens. Arthur Ellis and Obie Patterson, would require the Maryland State Highway Administration to designate the highway, also known as Maryland Route 210, as “the President Barack Obama Highway.”
The change would cost roughly $12,500 to cover the costs for the design, construction and installation of the signs for the highway, which runs through parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C., a fiscal and policy note shows.
If passed, the legislation would take effect at the start of October.
According to a local Fox affiliate, the highway was named after a town it also runs along named Indian Head.
The move comes after Ellis introduced a Senate Joint Resolution last November calling on name of the mayor and town council of Indian Head to change its name, the station notes.
The resolution stated that the town “received its name due to the strong presence of indigenous persons in the late 17th century, specifically of the Algonquin tribe.”
Ellis went on to state that the name “may be deemed offensive to indigenous persons,” and urged the town to be renamed to “better reflect the State of Maryland’s respect of indigenous history, culture, and persons.”
According to the local station, the state Senate’s education, health and environmental affairs committee is slated to consider the measure later this month.
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