{"id":409024,"date":"2017-08-23T06:58:38","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T12:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=409024"},"modified":"2017-08-25T07:12:27","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T13:12:27","slug":"transparency-problems-plague-spaceport-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/transparency-problems-plague-spaceport-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Transparency problems plague Spaceport America"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_410300\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-410300\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.2.17-Fenn-Ron-771x573.jpg\" alt=\"Ron Fenn\" width=\"771\" height=\"573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.2.17-Fenn-Ron-771x573.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.2.17-Fenn-Ron-336x250.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.2.17-Fenn-Ron-768x570.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.2.17-Fenn-Ron-1170x869.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ron Fenn of Truth or Consequences, shown here speaking in June against using excess revenue from a local tax to help fund Spaceport America\u2019s operations, says his city \u201cis the appendix in this whole matter. We are left out of the loop.\u201d The spaceport skeptic hasn\u2019t always had as easy a time getting documents he\u2019s requested from the N.M. Spaceport Authority even though state law makes them public.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><em>The N.M. Spaceport Authority has violated the state\u2019s transparency laws several times this year, blocking or delaying public access to information about the spaceport<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>Spaceport America is a publicly owned government entity, so the law requires its financial and other dealings to be open to the public, with few exceptions.<\/p>\n<p>And yet in 2017 the N.M. Spaceport Authority, the state agency that runs the spaceport, has violated the state\u2019s\u00a0transparency laws several times in response to requests for documents filed by NMPolitics.net, a citizen from Truth or Consequences, and a reporter with KTSM-TV in El Paso. Those violations, in addition to other possible infractions, blocked or delayed public access to information about the spaceport.<\/p>\n<p>Dan Hicks, the spaceport\u2019s CEO, prefers to meet face-to-face instead of responding to emails. He made many efforts during the course of my months-long investigation of the spaceport to answer questions. That included hosting a forum at Spaceport America with journalists and economists to discuss the spaceport\u2019s economic impact.<\/p>\n<p>Those discussions, as NMPolitics.net reported <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/is-spaceport-america-taking-flight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">earlier this week<\/a>, revealed reason for optimism about Spaceport America\u2019s future as an economic driver.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"module align-left half type-aside\">\n<h3>About this series<\/h3>\n<p>This article is part of <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/series\/spaceport-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an NMPolitics.net series<\/a> examining Spaceport America\u2019s impact on New Mexico\u2019s economy and future. A decade ago, the state and voters in Do\u00f1a Ana and Sierra counties approved public funding to build the facility on the promise of Virgin Galactic flying paying customers into space from southern New Mexico and elected officials pledging thousands of new jobs in the tech and tourism sectors. We spent months investigating where things stand today.<\/p>\n<h3>Read the rest of the series<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/is-spaceport-america-taking-flight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Is Spaceport America taking flight?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/funding-woes-could-cripple-nm-spaceport-as-other-states-invest-in-space-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Funding woes could \u2018cripple\u2019 NM spaceport as other states invest in space race<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/how-much-secrecy-does-spaceport-america-need\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How much secrecy does Spaceport America need?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/08\/after-years-of-delays-virgin-galactic-prepares-for-spaceflights-from-nm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">After years of delays, Virgin Galactic prepares for spaceflights from NM<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>But the state\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmag.gov\/uploads\/files\/Publications\/ComplianceGuides\/Inspection%20of%20Public%20Records%20Compliance%20Guide%202015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Inspection of Public Records Act\u00a0<\/a>(IPRA) intends to ensure the public has access to documents and facts, not just officials\u2019 words.<\/p>\n<p>The Spaceport Authority blacked out information in some lease agreements with aerospace companies it provided to NMPolitics.net, including rent and fee schedules. That was done to \u201chonor the rights that New Mexican state law provides to innovators, developers and entrepreneurs who seek to move their operations to our state,\u201d said Melissa Kemper Force, the agency\u2019s general counsel.<\/p>\n<p>Force cited a <a href=\"http:\/\/swrtc.nmsu.edu\/files\/2014\/12\/New-Mexico-Rules-of-Evidence.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Mexico Supreme Court rule of evidence<\/a> that protects trade secrets in court cases to justify blacking out information in the lease agreements. Whether that rule applies to a state agency withholding information from the public is a matter of debate.<\/p>\n<p>The spaceport should err on the side of giving the public information, not protecting \u201cprivate aerospace firms\u2019 confidentiality interests,\u201d said Peter St. Cyr, executive director of the N.M. Foundation for Open Government. He pointed to the Legislature\u2019s stated intent in IPRA that the public be given access to \u201cthe greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government,\u201d which that law calls \u201can essential function of a representative government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey need to stop imposing their own secrecy rules,\u201d St. Cyr said. \u201c\u2026Taxpayers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of Spaceport America and are entitled to complete transparency and access to public records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen the spaceport shields the documents, it makes it difficult to ensure accountability at the facility,\u201d St. Cyr said. It also makes it difficult to evaluate the spaceport\u2019s claim that it\u2019s having a positive impact on New Mexico\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n<p>Other problems\u00a0I encountered appeared to be due to a lack of understanding of the state\u2019s transparency laws. In May, I asked Hicks whether he and his staff had been trained on IPRA and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmag.gov\/uploads\/files\/Publications\/ComplianceGuides\/Open%20Meetings%20Act%20Compliance%20Guide%202015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Open Meetings Act<\/a> (OMA) compliance. The Attorney General\u2019s Office regularly hosts such trainings around the state.<\/p>\n<p>Hicks said staff had not attended an AG event but had done some internal training. He acknowledged the need for better training for spaceport staff during that interview.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to be sure that we all have a clear understanding of what our IPRA responsibilities are as a state agency,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cIPRA is kind of the foundational document that should guide us and all state agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_410301\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-410301\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/4.19.17-Hicks-and-Hayes-771x593.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Hayes and Dan Hicks\" width=\"771\" height=\"593\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/4.19.17-Hicks-and-Hayes-771x593.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/4.19.17-Hicks-and-Hayes-336x258.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/4.19.17-Hicks-and-Hayes-768x590.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/4.19.17-Hicks-and-Hayes-1170x900.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patrick Hayes, a reporter with KTSM-TV in El Paso, interviews Spaceport America CEO Dan Hicks at the spaceport in April. In response to Hayes\u2019 recent requests to review documents, Hicks\u2019 agency violated the state\u2019s Inspection of Public Records Act four times, the state Attorney General\u2019s Office determined last week. The Spaceport Authority responded by saying it had not broken the law.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>Hurdles to public access<\/h3>\n<p>The violations and possible violations of transparency laws started in March when I and Patrick Hayes, the KTSM-TV reporter, asked for copies of the spaceport\u2019s lease agreements with aerospace companies. I paid the fee of nearly $300 for copies of the documents. Hayes asked to bring his own equipment to digitize the records himself for free, which the state Attorney General\u2019s Office says is allowed.<\/p>\n<p>The Spaceport Authority rejected Hayes\u2019 request, leaving him only the option of paying the $1-per-page fee if he wanted copies.<\/p>\n<p>After I told Hicks in May that state law lets people bring their own digitizing equipment, the agency changed its policy. It now allows people to make their own copies. But Hayes says he was never given that chance. He filed complaints about that and other issues with the AG\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>Assistant Attorney General Dylan K. Lange determined last week that the Spaceport Authority had <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/HayesIPRADetermination.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">violated IPRA four times<\/a> in its interactions with Hayes \u2013 by improperly attempting to charge fees for public records, failing to provide records in electronic format, prohibiting the use of digitizing equipment, and denying a request without explanation.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The Spaceport Authority responded that it had not violated IPRA. In a Friday news release, the agency\u00a0said it had notified the AG&#8217;s Office that Lange&#8217;s determination contained &#8220;legal inaccuracies.&#8221; The agency did not elaborate, saying it was &#8220;inappropriate for Spaceport America to further address these issues until the attorney general has had the opportunity to make any corrections he feels are necessary.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In response, spokesman James Hallinan said the AG&#8217;s Office\u00a0&#8220;absolutely&#8221; stands\u00a0by its finding of four IPRA violations. &#8220;As with all IPRA complaints, Spaceport America has been given every opportunity to be transparent and explain why it did not produce public records,&#8221; Hallinan said. &#8220;The responses provided do not establish any valid legal basis for withholding the information.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Hayes and I also requested in March all documents that went into Spaceport America Chief Financial Officer Zach De Gregorio\u2019s \u201ceconomic impact\u201d analysis, which claims that \u201cevery dollar invested\u201d in the spaceport by the state in Fiscal Year 2016 \u201chas 20x return.\u201d A <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Spaceport-America-Economic-Impact-09-21-2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">five-frame slideshow<\/a> making that claim has been shown to legislators, county commissioners, journalists and others.<\/p>\n<p>I was exact in asking for \u201cAny and all documents that support the analysis that in Fiscal Year 2016 the spaceport\u2019s economic impact was $20.8 million.\u201d I asked for documents to back up \u201cthe estimates that the commercial spaceport industry generated $11,021,000, that non-aerospace spaceport business was $1,089,000, that tourism generated $1,789,000, that additional taxes earned were $861,000, that indirect purchases in N.M. businesses were $3,852,000, and that investment in STEM education was $2,200,000.\u201d Those numbers were included in De Gregorio\u2019s slideshow.<\/p>\n<p>The agency provided nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Didn\u2019t De Gregorio review the agency\u2019s budget? Documents that show payments from companies that have leases? Financial records from film companies doing shoots at the spaceport? Records from the tour bus operator? \u201cThere are no more documents,\u201d De Gregorio told me.<\/p>\n<p>Didn\u2019t De Gregorio take notes when he was interviewing business owners to gauge the spaceport\u2019s impact? Yes, Hicks told me. Shouldn\u2019t those be retained for public inspection, at least for a time, as state law intends?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes he keep those? No,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like, \u2018Hey, I finished the briefing. Get rid of that.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>St. Cyr said that\u2019s the wrong attitude.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGovernment records are created with public funds and belong to the citizens of the State of New Mexico,\u201d he said. \u201cThese records are the evidence of what the spaceport does, and the director and his team should understand they have an obligation to retain most types of documents for five years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When the request for all documents that factored into De Gregorio\u2019s analysis turned up nothing, I filed a new request for copies of the Spaceport Authority\u2019s fiscal year 2016 and 2017\u00a0budgets. The agency directed me to the state\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sunshineportalnm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sunshine portal<\/a>, which lists some budget information, but not a detailed, line-item budget. I had to ask a second time to get <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/FY17-NMSA-Operating-Budget.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the documents I requested<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ron Fenn of Truth or Consequences, an activist who is upset about the city moving a community center to make room for the spaceport\u2019s visitor center, has experienced the transparency problems firsthand. His request for a document that details what happened at the\u00a0March 29\u00a0meeting of the Spaceport Authority\u2019s governing board went unanswered for weeks, in violation of state law, until he threatened to file a formal complaint with the AG.<\/p>\n<p>I also didn\u2019t get the draft minutes of that March 29\u00a0meeting in the time required by law. OMA states they must be available for public inspection no more than 10 days after the meeting. In this instance, that means they should have been available by April 8.<\/p>\n<p>IPRA requires that an agency respond to all records requests within three days, either by providing documents, explaining how soon they will be available, or explaining why they are exempt from public disclosure. My May 4 request went unanswered. When I mentioned the lack of response on May 18, Hicks did what the agency often did when I pointed out problems. He apologized.<\/p>\n<p>He also said the draft minutes weren\u2019t yet ready. Hicks <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Draft_final_March_29_2017_board_meeting_minutes.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">provided the minutes to me<\/a> the next day, on May 19 \u2013 weeks after state law required that they be made available to the public.<\/p>\n<h3>More apologies<\/h3>\n<p>The apologies came often. In its initial response to my request for the aerospace companies\u2019 lease agreements, the spaceport cited, to justify redactions of rent and other information, a provision in IPRA that exempts public hospitals\u2019 trade secrets from release. That statute doesn\u2019t mention or apply to the spaceport. And the agency cited a provision in IPRA for \u201csecurity\u201d \u2013 perhaps because sections in four of the five leases labeled \u201csecurity\u201d are entirely blacked out. But IPRA has no provision that exempts \u201csecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When questioned about the apparently bogus justification for the redactions, Force, the spaceport\u2019s general counsel, apologized. Then she cited the Supreme Court rule that protects trade secrets in court cases to justify the redactions.<\/p>\n<p>St. Cyr was especially irked by the shifting justifications for the lease redactions because the spaceport unsuccessfully sought legislation this year that would allow it to keep all sorts of customer information secret \u2013 including rent payments and even the identities of customers. Now, he said, the spaceport is withholding some of that information as if the bill became law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir insistence that they are better suited to determine what is fair and equitable for outside business interests reveals an alarming level of contempt for the legislative process,\u201d St. Cyr said.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes got an apology too. In response to a request for contracts and other documents, he was told in a June 14 email that the agency needed more time to gather documents, and to expect a response by June 26. None came, so on June 27, Hayes filed another complaint with the AG\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes heard that day from David Matthews, general counsel for the state\u2019s Economic Development Department, which works with the spaceport. Matthews wrote in an email that the documents were ready for inspection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn behalf of the Spaceport, I apologize,\u201d Matthews wrote. \u201cWe simply missed your email\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fenn also got an apology after he threatened to file a complaint with the AG for the lack of response to his request for the March 29 meeting minutes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs you know from your previous requests, it is not normal for us to be late in responding to requests,\u201d the agency wrote.<\/p>\n<h3>Blocked on Twitter<\/h3>\n<p>As I was wrapping up my reporting for this series, I discovered on June 24 that Spaceport America had <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SpaceportTwitterBlock.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">blocked me<\/a> from following <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Spaceport_NM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">its Twitter account<\/a> \u2013 from seeing or responding to its tweets. I don\u2019t know when it happened, but the agency had revoked my access.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_410303\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 336px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-410303 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.24.17-Blocked-on-Twitter-336x310.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter blocking\" width=\"336\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.24.17-Blocked-on-Twitter-336x310.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.24.17-Blocked-on-Twitter-768x709.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.24.17-Blocked-on-Twitter.jpg 771w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Screenshot<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heath Haussamen discovered on June 24 that Spaceport America had blocked him from following its Twitter account \u2013 from seeing or responding to its tweets.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I emailed Hicks and Tammara Anderton, who at the time was the spaceport\u2019s vice president for business development, to ask why. Days later that hadn\u2019t resulted in my access being restored, so on June 28 I filed a formal request for the complete list of Twitter accounts Spaceport America had blocked.<\/p>\n<p>My access to the agency\u2019s Twitter account was restored the next morning, but the spaceport refused to hand over the list I requested, saying IPRA \u201cdoes not reference Twitter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hicks told me the spaceport started blocking people on Twitter last fall because critics from T or C were publicly posting \u201cvery negative\u201d and \u201cobscene\u201d responses to tweets. He didn\u2019t explain why I was blocked or when, but suggested it might have been because of an article I wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The agency has the right to block people on social media to protect Spaceport America\u2019s image and branding, Hicks asserted. He\u2019s now working on a formal policy so such decisions aren\u2019t subjective in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they criticize us we need to have thick skins and think through why they would say that,\u201d Hicks said. \u201c\u2026Now when it becomes obscene or against industry standards, then I think that\u2019s when our policy should be in place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not all agree. The Knight First Amendment Institute recently <a href=\"http:\/\/www.poynter.org\/2017\/knight-institute-sues-president-trump-over-twitter-blocking\/466322\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sued U.S. President Donald Trump<\/a> for blocking people on Twitter. The lawsuit alleges that such blocking by public officials is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe First Amendment applies to this digital forum in the same way it applies to town halls and open school board meetings,\u201d Jameel Jaffer, the Knight Institute\u2019s executive director, said in a news release. \u201cThe White House acts unlawfully when it excludes people from this forum simply because they\u2019ve disagreed with the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That lawsuit is pending, and there\u2019s little case law on the issue. But a federal judge in Virginia <a href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/blogs\/future_tense\/2017\/07\/28\/federal_court_rules_public_officials_cannot_block_social_media_users.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recently ruled<\/a> that a county government official violated a critic\u2019s First Amendment rights by blocking her on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>St. Cyr agreed that social media blocking is \u201cviewpoint discrimination.\u201d For Spaceport America, it\u2019s part of a pattern of rejecting the Legislature\u2019s intent that people should have the greatest possible access to their government, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve thrown the finger at the Legislature, and now they\u2019re throwing the finger at you,\u201d St. Cyr said.<\/p>\n<h3>&#8216;It&#8217;s going to be a team sport&#8217;<\/h3>\n<p>The Spaceport Authority operates on a tight budget and its staff members are stretched thin. But state law doesn\u2019t allow agencies to break the law because they\u2019re busy or don\u2019t understand their responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>IPRA requires all local and state government agencies in New Mexico to formally designate an employee as the records custodian. That\u2019s the person \u201cresponsible for the maintenance, care or keeping of a public body\u2019s public records,\u201d IPRA states. It\u2019s who you contact if you want to inspect a local or state agency\u2019s records.<\/p>\n<p>The Spaceport Authority has no designated records custodian, though Hicks said the CFO, De Gregorio, has been handling the role informally.<\/p>\n<p>De Gregorio has been using a generic email account, rather than his own, to handle many IPRA requests. Responses are often signed by the \u201cRecords Custodian\u201d without naming him or including contact information to help people follow up. Fenn expressed frustration to me about not knowing who he was corresponding with when he sought documents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe spaceport would be well served to appoint a qualified records custodian to champion transparency through all levels of its operations and to remind management that, long ago, state law established the public\u2019s right to inspect records and independently determine what is going on at this facility,\u201d St. Cyr said.<\/p>\n<p>Hicks said he wants his agency to be in compliance. Transparency, he said, \u201ckeeps trust built with government and the people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know that in order for the spaceport to ultimately be successful it\u2019s going to be a team sport,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The N.M. Spaceport Authority has violated the state\u2019s transparency laws several times this year, blocking or delaying public access to information about the spaceport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":410300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[107,141,706],"class_list":["post-409024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-roundhouse","tag-spaceport-america","tag-transparency","series-spaceport-america"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}