Citizens group gets temporary reprieve in Butte-Silver Bow data center lawsuit
A district court judge in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana, issued a temporary restraining order preventing the county from retroactively changing a signature-gathering deadline for a citizens' initiative aimed at limiting data center construction. The group, 406 People First, is suing the county after the election administrator changed the deadline, potentially disqualifying their ballot measure.
A district court judge in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana, has issued a temporary restraining order against the city-county, preventing it from enforcing a retroactively changed deadline for a citizens' group to collect signatures for a ballot initiative. The group, 406 People First, proposes to prohibit data center construction or expansion in the city-county without voter approval.
The organization was initially informed by election administrator Cynthia Sherman that it had until August 14 to collect the necessary 3,652 signatures. However, on August 10, the deadline was abruptly moved to July 13, citing a new Montana law passed in 2025. 406 People First argued in its lawsuit that the earlier date was never communicated, and they had already gathered enough signatures under the original deadline.
Judge Frank Joseph's order temporarily blocks Butte-Silver Bow from rejecting petition sheets based on the July 13 cutoff, treating the initiative as rejected, or taking actions that would hinder its placement on the November ballot. A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled. This incident mirrors a situation in Yellowstone County, where a similar data center regulation initiative was invalidated after the county retroactively applied a new state statute, a change reportedly influenced by an attorney representing data center company Quantica Infrastructure.