Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) introduced the Coastal Commission Accountability Act this week, which is meant to strip the California Coastal Commission of its powers under federal law. Kiley’s bill would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act to “expedite important coastal activities, including national security initiatives, critical infrastructure development, and disaster mitigation and recovery efforts.”
The bill came after the Commission denied Elon Musk’s SpaceX a request to expand Falcon 9 launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base in October. Kiley said the Commission’s 6-4 vote against granting the SpaceX request demonstrated the agency’s politicization, and it hinders “both defense operations and California’s leadership in aerospace innovation.”
Click HERE for Kiley’s bill.
In January, the Commission asked a judge to dismiss Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) lawsuit against them, which accused the agency of political bias after the vote failed to add more rocket launches from Vandenberg. That lawsuit is scheduled to be heard in a Los Angeles court on March 14 (see filing here). In their filing, the Commission said SpaceX had not shown how the agency’s October vote harmed the company since the U.S. Air Force objected to their decision and said it would proceed anyway with additional SpaceX launches.
“The California Coastal Commission is simply out of control and has veered far from its purpose of protecting the coast,” said Rep. Kiley. “From blocking SpaceX rocket launches to obstructing fire prevention projects, the Commission has repeatedly threatened the safety of Californians and weakened our national defense, while needlessly undercutting innovation and economic progress. The need to rein in the Commission has become urgent as we face the challenge of rebuilding Los Angeles following the fires.”
Since 2013, SpaceX has launched Falcon 9 rockets from Vandenberg, with 28 launches in 2024.
The debate prior to the vote included criticism of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s political views and labor practices, highlighting concerns about political bias influencing the decision, added Kiley on a press release. According to Reuters, the comment was made by one member of the 12-person commission in October who accused Musk of “spewing and tweeting political falsehoods.”
When asked for comment on Wednesday, the Commission said they did not have comment at this time. The next California Coastal Commission board meeting will be held next week in Santa Cruz. For their agenda, visit HERE. The Musk lawsuit could be heard in closed session, according to the agenda.
The Commission is responsible for 1,000 miles of California coastline and oversees the use of water and land. Their mission statement states, “The Commission is committed to protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination.”
Rep. Kiley is a Republican who represents California’s District 3, which includes South Lake Tahoe and stretches along the California-Nevada border and also includes Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Alpine, Mono, and Inyo, and parts of Yuba, El Dorado, and Sacramento counties.
On the map below, his district is pictured with a red dot in the area of Vandenberg Air Force Base.
We reached out to Rep. Kiley’s office to see why he brought up the legislation when not in his district, but a response has not been received. This story will be updated if he responds.