The Republican government of Louisiana has sold a huge swath of protective wetlands to Elon Musk for a “starbase” that will host 30 launches a day. The deal was done secretly, under NDA, with Republican lawmakers passing legislation that shields Musk from liability for anything that could go wrong. I spoke with Dustin Granger of the Louisiana Democrats about the implications. We covered:
tax breaks and legal protections Louisiana GOP offered SpaceX
Why were officials reportedly under NDAs, and what does that mean for how this kind of deal normally gets decided?
What’s specifically at risk in the wetlands and coastline, and how does that connect to hurricane protection?
Where does the promised economic benefit actually go?
If someone in Louisiana wants to act on this, what are the concrete steps they can take today?
