AG Yost certifies proposed petition to amend state laws around data centers

Columbus, Ohio -- Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the certification of a proposed constitutional amendment's title and summary, which aims to prohibit the construction of data centers across the state. The petition, titled "Prohibition on Construction of a Data Center," was submitted earlier this month and proposes adding a new section to Article II of the Ohio Constitution. The Attorney General's office confirmed that the title and summary accurately reflect the proposed amendment, though this certification does not comment on the measure's potential enforceability or constitutionality. With this certification, the petition will now be forwarded to the Ohio Secretary of State. Proponents of the amendment must now collect a significant number of signatures from registered voters—specifically, at least 10% of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. These signatures must also include contributions from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, with each county contributing signatures equal to at least five percent of its gubernatorial vote total. If the required signatures are gathered and verified within the stipulated timeframe, the proposed amendment will be presented to Ohio voters in an upcoming regular or general election.