California regulators have been forced to backtrack and apologize after injecting partisan politics into official deliberations over Elon Musks SpaceX launch operations.
According to WND, members of the California Coastal Commission used a 2024 public hearing to air their grievances about Musks political views while weighing whether to allow an increase in Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. The commissioners, who are tasked with enforcing state coastal regulations, claimed the launches constituted commercial activity subject to their authority and voted against SpaceXs plans, despite the national-security implications and existing contracts with the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.
Their vote ultimately had no practical effect, as the military branches that had contracted for the launches simply ignored the commissions decision and continued with their planned schedule. Yet the rhetoric on display at the hearing quickly became the centerpiece of a lawsuit filed by SpaceX, which argued that the commissions opposition was rooted in animosity toward SpaceX and the political beliefs of its owner Elon Musk.
During the October 2024 meeting, Caryl Hart, the commissions chairwoman, openly tied her objections to Musks political activity, asserting that he aggressively injected himself into the president race and made it clear what his point of view is. Another commissioner, Gretchen Newsom, not related to Californias Democrat governor, escalated the partisan tone, claiming Musk was hopping around the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods, and attacking FEMA.
Her remarks appeared particularly pointed given the broader context: at the time, FEMA was responding to hurricanes Helene and Milton, while Musks Starlink division was providing free satellite internet access to people in the affected regions. Rather than welcoming private-sector innovation that was directly helping disaster victims, commissioners chose to vilify the entrepreneur whose technology was filling gaps left by government bureaucracy.
Faced with litigation and the prospect of a courtroom reckoning over their conduct, the California Coastal Commission has now issued a formal apology and pledged to keep politics out of its regulatory decisions. The Commission agrees that it may not consider irrelevant factors in performing its function and specifically agrees that it will not take into account the perceived political beliefs, political speech, or labor practices of SpaceX or its officers in considering any regulatory action concerning SpaceX, the agency stated in court.
In a further admission, the body conceded that its members had crossed a line during the 2024 hearing. The Commission acknowledges that Commissioners made statements, including during their October 10, 2024, hearing on the Bases Falcon 9 launch program, that showed political bias against SpaceX and its Chief Executive Officer and were improper. The Commission apologizes for those statements.
As part of the settlement, the commission has also agreed it will not demand coastal permits for most launches from the Space Force facility, limiting its ability to obstruct future missions. The agreement, made public only days ago, underscores a broader concern among conservatives that activist regulators in deep-blue states are increasingly willing to weaponize their authority against disfavored businesses and individuals, particularly those aligned with President Trumps agenda of innovation, deregulation, and American leadership in space.
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