Data-center opponents tell Yellowstone County commissioners they were harassed while gathering signatures
Yellowstone County data center opponents claim they were harassed by law enforcement and security while gathering signatures for a petition at MontanaFair. Meanwhile, a judge ruled that the petition signatures, which sought a public vote on data centers, were invalid due to a missed deadline, effectively halting the effort. The petition was in response to Quantica Inc.'s proposal for a large-scale data center near Broadview.
Opponents of data centers in Yellowstone County reported being harassed by law enforcement and security guards while collecting signatures for a petition at MontanaFair. Katie Harrison, a volunteer with Yellowstone County Voices, claimed she was told to move multiple times while peacefully gathering signatures outside the fairgrounds. Kassi Solberg, an organizer, alleged that sheriff deputies accosted and cuffed her after she had left the fairgrounds.
Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell defended his deputies' actions, stating that individuals were removed due to their conduct, and one person allegedly put hands on a deputy, though no charges were filed. O'Donnell assured county commissioners that he would look into the incidents.
In a related development, Yellowstone County Judge Ed Zink ruled that the petition effort to require a public vote on data centers missed a critical deadline for signature collection, thus invalidating the signatures and likely ending the measure's chance of appearing on the November ballot. This petition was a response to a proposal by Quantica Inc. to construct a large-scale data center on 5,000 acres south of Broadview. Despite the legal setback, public concerns and investigations into the alleged harassment continue.