In a bill that blended political tribute with solemn remembrance, the Florida Senate passed SB 628 on a 34-3 vote, advancing a package of road and facility designations that includes naming 125 miles of State Road 80 in Palm Beach County as "President Donald J. Trump Highway." The bill now returns to the House for final passage before heading to the Governor.
The road designation bill, a legislative vehicle that frequently serves as a collection point for honorary namings from across the state, drew attention primarily for the Trump Highway provision. But the measure also includes designations honoring a legendary football coach, a former university president and Republican legislative leader, and three young servicemembers killed in a terrorist attack on Florida soil.
President Donald J. Trump Highway
The centerpiece of the bill designates the full length of State Road 80 in Palm Beach County -- approximately 125 miles -- as "President Donald J. Trump Highway." The designation is honorary; the road will retain its State Road 80 designation for navigation and administrative purposes, but signage bearing the Trump name will be erected along the route.
State Road 80 runs through Palm Beach County, home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and a region closely associated with the 45th and 47th president. The designation passed with overwhelming support in the Senate, with only three members voting against it.
The provision is part of a broader national trend of states naming infrastructure after living or recently serving presidents, though such designations have occasionally sparked controversy. In Florida, where Trump remains enormously popular among the Republican supermajority that controls both chambers, the measure encountered minimal opposition.
Bobby Bowden and Tallahassee International Airport
The bill also adds the name of legendary Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden to the Tallahassee International Airport. Bowden, who coached FSU from 1976 to 2009 and won two national championships, is widely regarded as one of the greatest college football coaches in history. He passed away in August 2021 at the age of 91.
The airport naming was amended into the bill by Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee), himself a former FSU football player who won a national championship under Bowden in 1999. Simon's personal connection to Bowden lent the amendment an emotional weight that resonated across party lines, and the provision passed without opposition.
President John Thrasher Memorial Boulevard
College Avenue in Tallahassee, between Copeland Street and South Monroe Street, would be designated as "President John Thrasher Memorial Boulevard" under the bill. Thrasher served as FSU's president from 2014 to 2021, capping a long career in Florida politics that included stints as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and a member of the Florida Senate.
A Republican who shaped the state's political landscape for decades, Thrasher was known for his ability to work across party lines and his deep commitment to Florida State University, where he oversaw significant growth in research funding, enrollment, and academic rankings during his tenure as president.
Warrior Sacrifice Way
Perhaps the most poignant designation in the bill names a stretch of State Road 295 in Escambia County, between Duncan 8 Road and Gulf Beach Highway, as "Warrior Sacrifice Way." The designation honors three young servicemembers who were killed in the December 6, 2019, terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, of Enterprise, Alabama; Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida; and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, 21, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, were killed when a Saudi Arabian military trainee opened fire in a classroom building on the base. The attack, which also wounded eight others, was the deadliest shooting on a U.S. military installation since the 2009 Fort Hood attack.
The naming of Warrior Sacrifice Way received universal support in both chambers, and its inclusion in the broader road designation bill ensured that the three servicemembers' sacrifice would be permanently commemorated on one of the main routes near the base where they served.
The Road Designation Process
Road and facility designation bills are a routine feature of every Florida legislative session. They serve as vehicles for lawmakers to honor individuals, events, and communities that hold significance to their districts. The bills typically move through the transportation committees in both chambers and are often amended multiple times as individual members add their own designations to the package.
SB 628 was sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), who also served as the Senate sponsor of the school safety guardian program bill. The bill's path through the Legislature was straightforward, reflecting the noncontroversial nature of most road designation measures. Gaetz also sponsored the Senate companion to the guardian program expansion bill, one of the session's most significant pieces of legislation. Government affairs professionals can track infrastructure bills and road designations with LobbyScape's legislative intelligence platform.
Designations in the Bill
- State Road 80 in Palm Beach County: "President Donald J. Trump Highway" (125 miles)
- Tallahassee International Airport: Addition of Bobby Bowden's name
- College Avenue (Copeland St. to S. Monroe St.) in Tallahassee: "President John Thrasher Memorial Boulevard"
- State Road 295 in Escambia County: "Warrior Sacrifice Way" (honoring Watson, Haitham, and Walters)