The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on two major cases at UTRGV’s Edinburg campus.

Among the cases was one deciding whether the state can close Boca Chica Beach during SpaceX launches.

The rare field hearing brought all nine justices to the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex, where about 1,000 people, including hundreds of students, watched the proceedings.

Environmental groups, including Save RGV, the Sierra Club and the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe, argue that temporary beach closures during rocket launches violate the Texas Open Beaches Act.

The Texas General Land Office and Cameron County are asking the court to dismiss the case.

"The Texas Constitution has a clause that enshrines citizens' ability to access unrestricted public beaches in Texas, so [environmental groups] allege this amounts to unconstitutional violation of peoples’ rights," UTRGV Political Science Professor Alvaro Corral said.

Corral is not tied to any of the legal challenges that were heard by the justices.

The court also heard arguments in a second case involving McAllen. City leaders are challenging a state law that limits how much cities can charge private companies to use public right-of-ways.

City leaders said the law could cost cities millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Ten cities, including McAllen, claim they lost about $46 million combined in a single year.

"By the state sort of lowering what these cities can charge private corporations to use this, they're saying that's sort of injuring them," Corral said.

Justices will decide if both cases will move forward.

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