Dallas state senator and Democratic attorney general candidate Nathan Johnson is calling for a review of recent state grants awarded to Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink. The company received about $110 million in grants, which Johnson says should face additional legislative scrutiny.

Johnson’s Concerns

Johnson’s concerns stem from testimony at a recent Senate committee hearing, which indicated that the grant qualifications were revised by Gov. Greg Abbott’s office to favor low Earth orbit internet providers. Starlink currently dominates the market for low Earth orbit satellite internet service.

Johnson’s campaign claims that the lopsided award was steered to Musk due to his Republican political connections. However, the governor’s office has defended the process, stating that low Earth orbit satellite service is essential for reaching remote areas where traditional fiber connections are too costly and time-consuming to build.

Johnson has proposed expanding the attorney general’s office consumer protection efforts, bolstering whistleblower protections, and more aggressively enforcing antitrust laws. He also plans to direct the attorney general’s office to work with the state comptroller to audit how government contracts are awarded.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.