Governor Bob Riley announced today that the State of Alabama will be changing its name effective January 1, 2010. The new state name will be known as Alobama, named for the 44th President of the United States.
"Although Alabama is traditionally a Republican State and I am a Republican, we in Alabama believe in change. We also believe that President-elect Barack Obama is that agent of change. For this reason, we have decided to rename our state, 'Alobama'."
There are people in Alabama who are not happy with this decision.
Clyde Wells, a farmer from Muscle Sholes and a member of the Muscle Shoales Evangelical Free Church, said, "Alabama is a Christian state. Many of its residents are Christian. It is a sin to name our state after a Muslim."
Many groups promised to challenge the name change in court, including the Southern Baptist Association and Alcoholics Anonymous.
