Throughout his career as a real estate investor and developer, it has become clear that former President Donald Trump likes to put his name on things.
In Oklahoma, however, it is state officials who are renaming an existing stretch of one major highway in his honor.
Governor signs bill into law
From now on, a 20-mile stretch of State Highway 287 will be known as “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”
According to the legislation responsible for the name change, the portion of the highway in the state’s panhandle runs from “the municipal limits of Boise City extending southeast to the Oklahoma-Texas border in Cimarron County.”
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the bill into law last week, thus approving new names for various highways and bridges across the state.
As the new law requires, the Department of Transportation will now set up permanent markers paid for by GOP sponsors and the highway’s new name will officially take effect on Nov. 1.
Although state law did require that a person be dead for three years before a bridge or highway be named in his or her honor, Republicans enacted an amendment that rescinded that restriction.
“We just repealed the statute!”
Among the exceptions made through that amendment were Medal of Honor recipients, soldiers, and first responders who died in the line of duty.
State Sen. Forrest Bennett, a Republican, hailed his party’s determination in advancing the motion to honor Trump.
“Some legislators wanted to name a highway after former president Trump,” he tweeted. “But statute dictated that a person must’ve passed away before a road is named for them. So what did we do? We just repealed that statute! Amazing what this body can accomplish when we really want something.”
Trump won in each of the state’s 77 counties in November’s presidential election, carrying the state with 65% of the vote.
Despite his electoral loss to President Joe Biden, the former president remains the de facto leader of the GOP nationwide and commands the loyalty of millions of voters. Although his platform has diminished significantly since leaving office, Trump has signaled a return of his signature campaign-style rallies in the near future.
The post Governor signs bill renaming portion of highway in honor of Trump first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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