Staff Reports
Governor‑elect Gina Hinojosa this week told Texas Parks and Wildlife Department leaders to pause any action involving Boca Chica State Park and made it plain on national TV: selling our beach to Elon Musk’s SpaceX is “unacceptable.” That is the news. It’s a clear, public demand during a transition — and it raises real questions about transparency, property, and how Texas will balance public land with private industry near Starbase.
Hinojosa’s demand: protect the beach — and the people
Hinojosa framed the move as simple common sense. She reminded Texans that beaches are meant to be free and open, and she said any deal with Musk must be “on our terms.” Asking TPWD leadership to hold off while she takes office is within her authority as governor‑elect. Protecting public land is an easy message to sell to voters — and for good reason. Nobody in Texas wants to hear the state quietly hand over shoreline to a private buyer without public debate.
Why this blew up: a draft agenda and 1,300 acres
What set off alarm bells were media reports about a draft Parks and Wildlife agenda item tied to roughly 1,300 acres near Boca Chica. Those reports suggested the commission had discussed land transfers that could benefit SpaceX. TPWD later said no sale was on the public November agenda, and the draft language that prompted the fuss was pulled or never posted. Still, the prospect of private control next to Starbase — combined with Elon Musk’s visible political spending and high profile moves to Texas — turned the rumor into a flashpoint overnight.
Policy, not politics: what Texans should demand
Here’s the conservative take: we like business and jobs, but we also like clear rules and public notice. The right solution is not theatrical bans or headline‑grabbing denunciations. It’s transparency in TPWD agendas, solid environmental reviews, and firm legal terms that protect public access. If a sale or swap ever becomes lawful and necessary, Texans should see the paperwork, the valuation, and the safeguards before anyone signs. And Governor‑elect Hinojosa should back that process instead of turning a transition request into a political rallying cry.
In short, no one wants our beaches sold out from under us — and no one should want businesses to be pushed away by sloppy governance or shrill political theater. If Hinojosa truly means “on our terms,” then she should use the office she’ll soon hold to make the rules clear, enforce the law, and keep both public access and Texas jobs intact. Watch the TPWD agenda packets next — that’s where the real action, not the TV drama, will show whether this is protection or politics.
