Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa successfully urged the state's parks and wildlife department to freeze the proposed sale of 1,300 acres of Boca Chica state park to SpaceX until her inauguration. The threatened parkland directly borders Musk's Starbase rocket facility and functions as a critical sanctuary for sea turtles and shore birds. Allied with Senator-elect James Talarico, Hinojosa argued that corporate interactions must respect public access to natural resources rather than wealthy corporate interests. In response to the halted transaction, supporters of Musk warned that SpaceX might abandon Texas to pursue operations in states such as Florida or Louisiana.
Key points
Texas leaders are pushing back against corporate control over public natural resources, t…: Texas leaders are pushing back against corporate control over public natural resources, tax revenue, and water supplies.
The dispute reflects a broader national conflict between rapidly expanding technology fir…: The dispute reflects a broader national conflict between rapidly expanding technology firms and communities fighting to protect public lands.
Future state negotiations with major corporations like SpaceX will face strict scrutiny u…: Future state negotiations with major corporations like SpaceX will face strict scrutiny under the incoming administration's regulatory terms.
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Welcome back to How We Win, a Guardian opinion series with leading thinkers, offering bold ideas for America’s political future. Last week, Judd Legum shined a spotlight on the role of dark money in US elections. Today’s edition was written by Naomi Klein, Guardian US columnist and author of End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World, co-written with Astra Taylor.
To see the battle lines of the post-midterm era in sharp relief, look to Texas.
Just two days after her earthquake victory as the governor-elect, Gina informed reporters that she had already asked the parks and wildlife department to freeze a proposal to sell 1,300 acres (525 hectares) in a state park to SpaceX until she is sworn into her new office. The department complied with her request.
The Boca Chica state park is next door to Starbase, Elon Musk’s rocket launch facility and company town. That makes the park’s beaches and protected lands – a refuge for shore birds and sea turtles – the ideal location for SpaceX to expand.
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