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Proposed legislation that would have given SpaceX control over closures of Boca Chica Beach and S.H. 4 has died in the Texas Legislature.
The development follows weeks of strident opposition by groups such as the Surfrider Foundation and Texas Sierra Club, joined by the city of Port Isabel, which passed a resolution opposing S.B. 2881 from Sen. Adam Hinojosa (R-Corpus Christi) and H.B. 4660 from Rep. Janie Lopez (R-San Benito), which would have effectively removed Cameron County’s authority over beach and road closures on weekdays through noon on Fridays.
Authority over closures after noon on Fridays and during weekends would have remained with the county.
According to the South Texas Environmental Justice Network (STEJN), about 500 letters opposing the bills were sent to state representatives, while protests were held outside Hinojosa’s office.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. likewise was vocal in opposing the legislation, which he said in an April 4 letter to the House State Affairs Committee “does not serve the public interest and has received an overwhelmingly negative response from our local community.
“Through experience, Cameron County has shown the proper discretion and authority with respect to SpaceX, and any beach or road closures for spaceflight activities,” he wrote. “These have been coordinated satisfactorily through the mutual collaboration of both parties and continue without this bill.”
STEJN said a celebration will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. May 3 (Election Day) in the form of the Save Boca Chica Beach community event, “where residents will gather to continue demanding access to the beach and speaking out against SpaceX’s plans to establish the company town of Starbase through an election this month.”
This refers to a May 3 ballot question on whether to allow SpaceX’s Boca Chica community to be legally incorporated as a Type C municipality called “Starbase.”
SpaceX/Starbase submitted a petition to the county on Dec. 12 that satisfied the Texas Local Government Code’s requirements for the calling of an election by residents to decide incorporation. A Type C municipality contains between 201 and 4,999 residents. Trevino, who by law was required to call an election to decide the question, scheduled it for May 3 as part of the Uniform Election. Only Starbase residents are allowed to vote on the matter.
“The (STEJN) recently acquired, through a records request, a map of the voting district for the proposed Starbase city, which shows a crudely drawn boundary encompassing approximately 200 residents, mostly SpaceX staff, who would be eligible to vote in the May 3 election,” according to STJEN. “These community organizations have also taken action to speak out against this company town election.”
STEJN co-founder Bekah Hinojosa issued a statement saying that the “Rio Grande Valley community successfully stopped Texas (Legislature) bills pushed by SpaceX lobbyists. Elon Musk’s SpaceX company will not have control over our Boca Chica beach.”
“Stopping these bills should send a clear message to all public officials, (that) they are supposed to represent the people,” she said. “Public and regulatory officials must listen to our concerns that the facility is harming our wildlife habitat, homes, waterways and daily lives. We strongly oppose Elon Musk’s dangerous SpaceX rocket facility, his Starbase company town election, and his attempted beach takeover.”
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