A petition to change the name of Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York has gained traction online following the announced resignation of its namesake’s son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The petition, which has already garnered over 170,000 signatures, calls for the bridge’s name to revert to the Tappan Zee Bridge. Cuomo changed it in 2017 to honor his father and New York’s 52nd governor.
“This is not a dead issue, and we will continue to work hard to gather more signatures, because once we hit 200,000, that’s newsworthy,” the online petition reads in a 2021 update.
Assemblyman Mike Lawler, who introduced legislation to change the bridge’s name back to its original in March, has also renewed his calls to change it.
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“We need to remove that name and the stain that it leaves on New York state and get it off the bridge and rename it to the Tappan Zee Bridge,” Lawler said at the time.
Pass my bill A6594 now! Let’s rename the TZ Bridge immediately and remove the disgraced Cuomo family name! https://t.co/Ma4Z10nIwQ
— Assemblyman Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) August 10, 2021
While the petition has existed since the name was changed, sexual harassment allegations brought against the younger Cuomo and his subsequent departure are spurring the process.
Lawler echoed his calls to have the name changed immediately after an attorney general’s report on Gov. Cuomo found the allegations against him were legitimate.
“The attorney general’s report, which unveiled a culture of harassment, abuse, predatory behavior, and retaliation in the governor’s office, shows that it’s clear we as a Legislature need to impeach Andrew Cuomo for his actions,” Lawler said. “But we must also move forward, in a bipartisan fashion, on two critical pieces of legislation that I have introduced this session.”
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“Bill A.6594 would change the name of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge back to its rightful name, the Tappan Zee Bridge,” he added. “I urge each and every one of my colleagues in the Assembly to back this piece of legislation that will remove the stain of Andrew Cuomo’s name from the Tappan Zee Bridge. No one should have to drive over one of the finest pieces of architecture in our state and be reminded of the unforgivable sins of our governor.”
The petition posted an update after the resignation announcement, requesting additional signatures until the New York Legislature addresses the issue.
