The Las Cruces Sun-News reports this morning that commissioners from three counties in southern New Mexico—Doña Ana, Otero, and Sierra—are planning a joint hearing on January 15 to discuss plans fox taxes needed to help fund Spaceport America. (A proposal for such a hearing was discussed last week.) The hearing is designed to make sure both county officials and residents—who will eventually have to vote to approve any taxes—are up to speed about spaceport plans and the need for the taxes. Apparently commissioners in Otero and Sierra counties, who are in the “spaceport district” but haven’t been following the issue as closely as in Doña Ana (home to Las Cruces), have some questions about the project that may be answered at the hearing.

The article also notes that spaceport proponents are hoping to get an extra $25 million from the state legislature this session. The money would be used to pay for a road to the spaceport.

In a bid to help drum up public support for the project, spaceport proponents officially launched Wednesday People for Aerospace, an advocacy group that is trying to demonstrate the economic importance of the spaceport for southern New Mexico:

Chances are good you will never ride a rocket into outer space, or visit the International Space Station, so why should you support the spaceport?

For the same reasons we support new schools, airports, roads and education – to promote jobs and economic development in Doña Ana County.

The group’s site provides some general information about the spaceport and the benefits it may offer to the community, as well as answers to some common questions (although many of those answers are little more than barebones talking points.)