Latest news with #AdamHinojosa
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starbase could shut down Boca Chica Beach more frequently under Texas legislation
McALLEN — The Texas Senate has agreed to give officials of the new city Starbase, home to Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket testing facility, the authority to close off access to a popular South Texas beach for short periods of time during launches. The move to allow Starbase to close Boca Chica Beach has outraged local organizers who have lobbied to protect the area. Environmental and indigenous groups worry that allowing Starbase to decide when to close the beach would effectively close off a beloved and sacred beach to the public. [Is it law yet? See how far some of the most consequential bills have made it in the 2025 Texas Legislature] Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration gave SpaceX the green light to increase rocket launches from Boca Chica Beach from five times per year to 25 times per year, guaranteeing that the beach will be closed off more often. 'The entire system is kind of designed to basically give them a de facto private beach,' said Rob Nixon, vice chair of the South Texas chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit environmental group. 'Public safety's one thing but to use public safety against the public to close it down ... it's not genuine." The Legislature's upper chamber approved the measure Friday after state Sen. Adam Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, introduced it as an amendment to House Bill 1240 which updates the state's definition of the Texas-Mexico border region. Hinojosa previously told The Texas Tribune that granting Starbase this authority would streamline the process of closing the beach. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the Senate approved his amendment to HB 1240. The House will now have to accept that change before the proposal can become law. Hinojosa filed separate legislation, Senate Bill 2188, which would allow Starbase to close the beach on weekdays and Cameron County officials to retain authority over weekend closures. But the House has not yet voted on SB 2188 and a deadline to do so is approaching. The Senate's addition of the beach closure provision to HB 1240 gives the proposal another path to becoming law. The amendment on HB 1240, though, does not limit Starbase's ability to close the beach to just weekdays. Starbase is a newly incorporated city in Cameron County that is home to a SpaceX launch site. Most of the approximately 500 residents are SpaceX employees or are related to an employee. Cameron County officials have also expressed opposition to the proposal, stating that they've had a good working relationship with SpaceX so far and didn't see the need to transfer authority to the city. Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starbase could shut down Boca Chica Beach more frequently under Texas legislation
McALLEN — The Texas Senate has agreed to give officials of the new city Starbase, home to Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket testing facility, the authority to close off access to a popular South Texas beach for short periods of time during launches. The move to allow Starbase to close Boca Chica Beach has outraged local organizers who have lobbied to protect the area. Environmental and indigenous groups worry that allowing Starbase to decide when to close the beach would effectively close off a beloved and sacred beach to the public. [Is it law yet? See how far some of the most consequential bills have made it in the 2025 Texas Legislature] Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration gave SpaceX the green light to increase rocket launches from Boca Chica Beach from five times per year to 25 times per year, guaranteeing that the beach will be closed off more often. 'The entire system is kind of designed to basically give them a de facto private beach,' said Rob Nixon, vice chair of the South Texas chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit environmental group. 'Public safety's one thing but to use public safety against the public to close it down ... it's not genuine." The Legislature's upper chamber approved the measure Friday after state Sen. Adam Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, introduced it as an amendment to House Bill 1240 which updates the state's definition of the Texas-Mexico border region. Hinojosa previously told The Texas Tribune that granting Starbase this authority would streamline the process of closing the beach. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the Senate approved his amendment to HB 1240. The House will now have to accept that change before the proposal can become law. Hinojosa filed separate legislation, Senate Bill 2188, which would allow Starbase to close the beach on weekdays and Cameron County officials to retain authority over weekend closures. But the House has not yet voted on SB 2188 and a deadline to do so is approaching. The Senate's addition of the beach closure provision to HB 1240 gives the proposal another path to becoming law. The amendment on HB 1240, though, does not limit Starbase's ability to close the beach to just weekdays. Starbase is a newly incorporated city in Cameron County that is home to a SpaceX launch site. Most of the approximately 500 residents are SpaceX employees or are related to an employee. Cameron County officials have also expressed opposition to the proposal, stating that they've had a good working relationship with SpaceX so far and didn't see the need to transfer authority to the city. Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers are poised to ban minors from social media
The Texas Legislature is poised to impose sweeping restrictions on how minors use social media, from banning them from signing up for accounts and requiring parental consent to download applications, to placing warning labels about their dangers. House Bill 186, filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, has already passed with bipartisan support in the House, and a Senate panel has indicated its support as well. The proposal, the most far-reaching of the bills lawmakers have filed to address online dangers this session, would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites, such as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and more, and require users to verify their ages. Companies would have to comply with the ban by April 2026. 'Like so many parents across our state, I've watched my children grow up in a world that feels less and less safe, not because of where they go physically, but because of where they go online, in spaces that my wife and I can not possibly monitor at all times,' said Sen. Adam Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, co-sponsor of the bill, during a State Affairs Committee hearing last week. The bill would also allow parents to request the deletion of their child's social media account, and a company must comply within 10 days. Under this bill, any website that allows users to curate and create content is considered a social media website and cut off from minors. News and sports websites will be safe. As of June 2024, 10 states, including Texas, have passed laws restricting children's access to social media, according to the Age Verification Providers Association. However, a ban on social media for Texans under 18 would be the strictest regulation of the social media industry. Currently, Florida is the only other state with a ban on social media, but it's only for minors under 14, and they are working to extend the ban to those under 16. Last week, lawmakers sent Senate Bill 2420, by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, establishing age verification requirements and mandating parental consent before a minor is allowed to download or make purchases within software applications. Lawmakers are also considering House Bill 499, by Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, which would require social media platforms to have a warning label about the association between a minor's social media usage and significant mental health issues. 'We have the ability and the power to act today. With House Bill 186, we confront the evil before us and boldly say, 'You cannot have our children,'' Hinojosa said in an emotional address to lawmakers. Last week, senators in the State Affairs Committee heard from many teenagers who told them that while their hearts might be in the right place, an outright social media ban for anyone under 18 is not the answer. Many suggested lowering the age limit to 16 instead. 'The harmful content that young people are exposed to online does not disappear when they turn 18,' said Morgan McGuire, a 17-year-old Texas resident and TikToker with over a million followers. 'The bill throws young adults into a digital world at a time when they are living on their own for the first time, without the support systems that they had as minors, which can have serious harm on mental health.' Teenagers pointed out to lawmakers that most of their lives and careers are intertwined with social media, whether it's the 17-year-old TikToker making makeup videos or the five-star athlete posting highlight videos on Twitter and YouTube in hopes that coaches see them. 'It will be putting Texas high school student athletes at a disadvantage for several reasons, including getting information on programs, connecting with coaches, and competitiveness,' said William Weed, a Texas teenage athlete, to lawmakers. 'Colleges are not only looking at athletic skill and performance, but also an athlete's brand and social media presence in today's age of Name Image and Likeness rights.' However, lawmakers see this digital world as not an asset but a threat. 'If this were an ideal world, we could do what you guys are saying. But it's obvious that social media platforms are doing exactly what my fear is. And we have countless research stories of peers your age, committing suicide and being bullied,' said Hinojosa. Studies show that 95% of youth aged 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than a third stating they use social media 'almost constantly.' Nearly 40% of children aged 8 to 12 use social media, despite most platforms requiring a minimum age of 13 to sign up, according to a study by the U.S. Surgeon General. Two years ago, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association, among other national organizations, called out social media platforms for undermining classroom learning, increasing costs for school systems, and being a 'root cause' of the nationwide youth mental health crisis. Paxton pointed out that all these bills avoid regulating online gaming, a space where many negative interactions can happen, and questioned why this wasn't being addressed in the social media ban. Hinojosa responded that social media is just a starting point. 'We're making something new,' he said. This isn't the first time Texas has attempted to rein in social media, but each attempt has ended in a court debate. 'House Bill 186 conflicts with Texas contract law and undermines teens' right to access information, express themselves, and participate in the digital economy,' said Megan Stokes, state policy director of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, in a news release. 'A 14-year-old can legally work in retail or food service in Texas, but this bill would prevent them from even having a social media account.' Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 18 into law in 2023, known as the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act. The SCOPE Act requires certain social media platforms to provide minors with certain data protections, prevent minors from accessing harmful content, and give parents tools to manage their child's use of the service. It also required school districts to obtain parental consent for most software and social media applications used in the classroom and look for internet alternatives for instruction. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already sued TikTok twice under this law, accusing the company of violating deceptive trade law by downplaying its addictiveness and exposing children to explicit material. The suit argues that TikTok, a short-form video app, violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by listing itself on app stores as appropriate for children and not effectively enforcing its community guidelines. The Apple App Store lists TikTok as rated for those 12 and older, while the Microsoft and Google Play Stores list the app as appropriate for users 13 and older. TikTok has denied these allegations, and the issue has been playing out in court since last year, with various student groups and internet providers suing Paxton for violating First Amendment rights. Opponents of this new batch of social media bills told lawmakers the same thing would happen again. 'The way this bill is currently written, it would end up restricting the First Amendment rights of minors,' Stokes told lawmakers Thursday. 'Many Texas teens rely on these online platforms to connect with their peers, to share their interests, to find support for personal or academic growth, and this will be taken from them.' Disclosure: Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to give Starbase control over Boca Chica closures revived
May 2—Legislation that would take away Cameron County's authority over SpaceX-related beach and road closures has been revived in the House State Affairs Committee after being narrowly voted down in the same committee a couple of days earlier. Sen. Adam Hinojosa's (R-Corpus Christi) Senate Bill 2188, taken up by the committee in lieu of identical House Bill 4660 from Rep. Janie Lopez (R-San Benito), passed 8-6 on Wednesday— recommended without amendment to a vote by the full House — after failing 7-6 on Monday. The Senate passed SB 2188 on April 5. The legislation would hand over to Starbase — a newly minted municipality likely to be approved in the May 3 election — authority over closures over S.H. 4 and Boca Chica Beach except from Friday at noon to 8 a.m. Monday, during which authority would remain with the county. Although the bills' reference municipalities with spaceports and beach access, without specifically mentioning Starbase, they appear tailor made to accommodate SpaceX's wishes when it comes to its operations at Boca Chica. County officials are staunchly opposed to handing control over closures to Starbase's municipal government, which doesn't exist yet. County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., who has argued against the legislation from the start, said he knew the matter wasn't settled. Treviño said he doesn't buy the argument from SpaceX and other proponents of the legislation that it's necessary to streamline the process of implementing closures. "There is no good reason to change the current protocol," he said. "I don't think that the process has proven to be inefficient whatsoever — quite the opposite. As I think as we've gotten more and more experience and more accustomed to it, it's become much more efficient. "The whole point I think is to make sure that the public is aware of when potential closures or delays may be taking place. We've done that. On occasion the county has said no (to SpaceX), but we've tried real hard to work with them and we're going to continue to do that." Those behind the legislation would be hard pressed to show how not passing it would negative impact SpaceX's operations, Treviño said. "I think the history shows that the county's been extremely supportive, while at the same time trying to safeguard the public access to the beach," he added. Treviño said the county will continue to argue its position among state and local officials, and encouraged county residents who are against the change to contact as many state representatives as possible to register their opposition. "Until the session's over, then we need to keep trying," he said. Treviño said he can see how SB 2188 and HB 4660 might be viewed by some as further evidence of SpaceX's intent to consolidate control of Boca Chica at the expense of the public — though Treviño emphasized that he hopes that's not the case. "I can certainly understand that sentiment," he said. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SpaceX legislation dies: Would have removed county's authority on closures
Apr. 28—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." ------ RELATED READING: Featured Local Savings
