LOUISIANA — A legislative package signed into law ahead of SpaceX's $100 billion Starship launchpad announcement in Vermilion Parish creates tax incentives and legal protections.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed six bills into law before the Aug. 25 announcement that SpaceX will build a Starship launchpad in the small Vermilion Parish city of Abbeville.

Rep. Paul Sawyer, a Baton Rouge Republican, was one of 15 bipartisan sponsors of House Bill 1088. The legislation authorizes tax rebates on certain machinery and other items for approved aerospace facilities.

Rep. Sawyer called the SpaceX launchpad a game-changing investment for the state.

"SpaceX is transformational. In my view, SpaceX is the equivalent of Louisiana discovering oil for the first time," Sawyer said.

House Bill 1179, sponsored by Tony Bacala of Ascension Parish, extends tax exemption eligibility to aerospace manufacturing, assembly, and testing facilities.

House Bill 1098 shields aerospace companies from certain lawsuits, including claims over noise, smoke, or other disturbances tied to flight activity.

Longtime Abbeville resident Marilyn Mitchell raised concerns about the project and questioned the decisions of state lawmakers.

"If you're representing me, you're supposed to have my best interest at heart," Mitchell said. "We don't know how much noise we're going to get. We don't know what kind of effects we're going to have with that."

House Bill 1071 shields aerospace records from the public, including plans, technical data and security records.

House Bill 1250 gives aerospace companies a tool to fight costly lawsuits by allowing them to file a special motion that temporarily pauses the evidence-gathering process.

House Bill 1175 adds new definitions to state law covering aerospace facilities, launch vehicles, and space flight activities.

"None of what we had in our economic toolbox of economic incentives really applied to SpaceX. So really, we're treating SpaceX no differently than we would treat Exxon or BASF or DOW," Rep. Sawyer said.

Sawyer said the new deal with SpaceX was a full-circle moment for him.

"For me, this was a second chance because years ago, I used to work at the Department of Economic Development and my job was to recruit aerospace companies. And, in fact, I did recruit SpaceX to come to Louisiana. I brought them to Louisiana... And we failed, by the way."

None of Vermilion Parish's legislators sponsored any of the six bills, but they did unanimously vote "yes" on most of those bills.