SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The California Coastal Commission is responsible for ensuring that activities within the state’s coastal zone align with the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000) of the Public Resources Code) and other environmental protections.
(b) On October 10, 2024, the California Coastal Commission voted 6-4 against granting concurrence on Agenda Item 9A, Consistency Determination CD-0007-24, a federal consistency determination by the United States Space Force to increase Space Exploration Technologies’ (SpaceX) Falcon 9 launch activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base from 36 launches per year to 50, in the County of Santa Barbara.
(c) Representatives from the United States Department of the Air Force and United States Space Force testified during the October 10, 2024, meeting that SpaceX operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base are integral to advancing national security interests, and that SpaceX launches, including those for commercial purposes, constitute federal agency activity.
(d) Statements made by commissioners at the October 10, 2024, meeting prior to the vote on Agenda Item 9A revealed a clear and concerning politicization of a critical national security interest and demonstrated that the objection to concurrence with the consistency determination was potential retaliation against the private activities of SpaceX executives, including Elon Musk, for their engagement in protected free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
(e) The objection to concurrence on the federal consistency determination to increase SpaceX launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base threatens United States national security interests, undermines public trust in the California Coastal Commission, hinders California’s aerospace leadership, and limits the growth of the space exploration sector within the state.