Posted: Wed, Apr 23, 2008, 7:37 AM ET (1137 GMT)
A county in southern New Mexico overwhelmingly approved a sales tax increase Tuesday that will help fund the development of a commercial spaceport in the state. Voters in Sierra County, New Mexico approved a quarter-cent increase in the county's sales tax by a two-to-one margin in a special election. The majority of the money from that tax will be used to help build Spaceport America, a commercial spaceport planned for southern New Mexico that will be used by space tourism firm Virgin Galactic and other companies. The approval of the tax allows the state to create a "tax district" along with a neighboring county that approved a similar tax last year, allowing tax revenues to be collected and channeled to the spaceport.

Related Links:

•  Las Cruces (N.M.) Sun-News article
•  AP article