Pennsylvania State Rep. David Maloney is preparing a resolution urging federal officials to rename Lake Erie “Lake Pennsylvania.” The proposal is real. The rename is not. Here’s what has actually happened — and what would have to happen next.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Maloney’s planned resolution after regional Pennsylvania outlets picked up the story. The key status has not changed: the resolution still has not been formally introduced.
Follow the story →Coverage spreads across Pennsylvania, including WFMZ and Patch, while reports emphasize that the proposal remains at the co-sponsorship memo stage.
Maloney circulates “It’s Time for Lake Pennsylvania,” saying he intends to introduce a resolution urging the President, Congress and the Interior Secretary to take steps toward renaming Lake Erie.
The Berks County Republican says Pennsylvania has one Great Lake and argues the state’s tourism and fishing ties justify putting Pennsylvania’s name on it.
Right now, it is a proposed name for Lake Erie — not an official one. The Pennsylvania House memo has not yet been introduced as a resolution, and a Pennsylvania legislative resolution would itself only urge federal action.
No. Lake Erie remains the official name. As of September 11, Maloney’s proposal is still a Pennsylvania House co-sponsorship memo and has not been submitted for introduction.
No. The proposal asks federal officials to take action. A Pennsylvania House resolution would be an expression of the House’s position, not a federal geographic name change.
Maloney points to tourism, recreation and Pennsylvania’s role in stocking the lake’s fishery, despite the state having a relatively short Lake Erie shoreline.
No. Even a U.S. federal naming change would not compel Canada to adopt the same name.
The Commonwealth’s Lake Erie shoreline sits around Erie and Presque Isle, between Ohio and New York. The proposed rename would affect a lake shared with multiple U.S. states and Canada.
Follow the resolution, federal response and what maps and agencies decide to call the lake.