Steve Pearce
With Spaceport America, we stand on the brink of a new, exciting and prosperous adventure. Let New Mexico continue to lead this industry.
Special interest groups in Santa Fe have harmed New Mexico’s competitive edge as the home to commercial space flight. Up until now, New Mexico had been the leader in this burgeoning global industry. Today, we stand on the precipice of losing our future to Colorado, Texas, Virginia and Florida.
It should surprise no one that spaceflight is still riskier than airline flight. In 2004, the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act was signed into federal law and has worked very well in fostering the development of new companies in the United States – especially New Mexico. This law has allowed for the creation of a new commercial business – suborbital spaceflight for average citizens. It allows commercial space travel companies to obtain insurance by having passengers sign a consent agreement in exchange for the thrill, the excitement and the experience of a lifetime.
To date, hundreds of potential passengers have signed a federally approved consent agreement that protects these new companies in federal court.
Recently, even in this climate of political discord in Washington, the federal statute was extended by both the House and Senate through 2015, with bipartisan and bicameral support from a majority of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, and President Obama signed this vital extension into law. Washington, remarkably, has done its job here. Why can’t Santa Fe?
Texas, Virginia and Florida already have this language in their statutes and are in sync with the federal law. Colorado’s legislature is expected to approve the legislation by May. In essence, recognizing the future growth and potential the commercial space flight industry offers, they acted and removed their state loophole laws.
It was imperative that this law be passed in New Mexico to continue the expansion of commercial space travel here in our great state.
Lobbying effort killed important legislation
The Expand Space Flight Informed Consent Act, introduced for the recent session of the New Mexico State Legislature (as Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 239), sought to put New Mexico on the same footing with the other states and the federal government. It was going to establish important footholds for our state’s economic future. The legislation did not cost taxpayers a dime.
Tragically, the legislation was killed by a well-organized lobbying effort. New Mexico now stands to lose thousands of potential jobs, as well as the investments made in Spaceport America.
SB3 and HB239 sought to create the option for passengers to sign a consent agreement. Simply, this legislation was supporting New Mexico’s future in the commercial space industry by preventing frivolous lawsuits from circumventing the wishes of potential spaceflight passengers and using our courts to do so.
At Spaceport America’s groundbreaking ceremony in October, I spoke to the gathered guests, saying, “in our weariness, in our economic turmoil, in our concerns for tomorrow, the world is looking for a vision.” The vision I was speaking of is the new vision and the new adventure for New Mexico, through commercial space flight. The potential for our community is huge, and the future is at hand; however, in order to achieve that potential, there are important steps that must be taken by New Mexico.
Without action, New Mexico’s vision for adventure will be realized by other states, leaving the Zia state in the dust.
It is time for New Mexico to choose jobs over politics; it is time to close this loophole. It is time for fellow New Mexicans to stand side-by-side with their elected officials in Santa Fe and tell special interests to stop their influence-peddling. It is time for New Mexicans to stand together and fight for the future for our great state.
We stand on the brink of a new, exciting and prosperous adventure. Let New Mexico continue to lead this industry.
Pearce, a Republican, represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House.