UW students pitch gun violence prevention, data center transparency, youth pre-registration policies at Capitol

The tenth annual Wisconsin Ideas Conference, hosted by Sifting and Winnowing at the State Capitol on April 11, featured various policy proposals from University of Wisconsin students. Chairwoman Kate Blumenfeld opened the conference, emphasizing its role in fostering dialogue and policy discussion among students willing to engage with diverse ideas. Among the presenters, UW junior Elise Fischer, a computer science student, highlighted the environmental and community impacts of data centers. She cited Microsoft's data center development in Mt. Pleasant as an example, noting its potential to consume 2.8 million gallons of water annually, equivalent to the daily peak water use of 26 new households. Fischer's recommendations included establishing larger customer classes for data centers to enhance accountability and shield smaller customers from construction costs. She also advocated for increased transparency in reporting water and electricity consumption, alongside the implementation of community benefit agreements—legally binding contracts that ensure developers provide specified benefits to local communities. Other student proposals at the conference addressed separate issues, with Jake Leismer and Caden Rohadfox presenting on youth voter pre-registration, and Seth Rosenman discussing policies to reduce gun violence through ammunition taxation and regulation.