The Washington Redskins play nearly 2,700 miles away from California, which is good because their name is no longer welcome in The Golden State.
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to man the use of "Redskins," within public properties. California is the first state to prohibit public schools from the term in a name or mascot.
The measure, proposed by Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville) goes into effect Jan. 1, 2017. The four high schools directly affected by the law are in Merced, Calaveras, Tulare and Madera counties. These schools will get a grace period of a year and change.
The law is more about setting a precedent than making sweeping in-state changes.
"This landmark legislation eliminating the R-word in California schools clearly demonstrates that this issue is not going away, and that opposition to the Washington team on this issue is only intensifying," said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter and National Congress of American Indians Executive Director Jackie Pata in a statement. "The NFL should act immediately to press the team to change the name."
Although Brown went all in with his "Redskins" opinion, the governor vetoed a bill that would have banned the use of Confederate figures' names in public buildings and parks.
Brown also signed into law a ban on professional baseball players from using chewing tobacco on MLB fields and he legalized the use of electronic skateboards.
