A proposal in the New Mexico state legislature that would have prevented space travelers or their families from suing manufacturers of parts and equipment used in spaceflights died in committee Feb. 7, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports.
The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Mary Kay Papen (D-Las Cruces), said the vote was a setback for Spaceport America and the state’s space industry. “I think it will have a slowdown” because of a lack of legal protection for suppliers, she said.
Opponents said the bill went too far in protecting negligent companies and eroding consumers’ rights. State Sen. Lisa Curtis (D-Albuquerque) said a business could kill six passengers on a spaceflight but have no liability under the bill.
READ IT AT: [Las Cruces Sun-News]
