Democrat Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Change ‘Racist’ Names of Public Places Democrat lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would rename places around the country that have “racist” history or “bigoted” names, as part of their ongoing efforts to address aspects of U.S. history they deem offensive. U.S. Sens. Ed J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced the Reconciliation in Place Names Act, which was originally introduced in 2020 with then-Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.). The legislation more specifically aims to create a board to oversee the naming of more than 1,000 towns, lakes, streams, creeks, and mountain peaks across the U.S. that have, “offensive names that celebrate people who have upheld slavery, committed unspeakable acts against Native Americans, or led Confederate war efforts.”