Local Legislators Lead the Charge on Removing Financial Incentives for Data Centers
Wisconsin legislators introduced LRB 6903/1, a bill that would eliminate sales and use tax exemptions for data centers created under Wisconsin Act 19. The proposal comes amid voter concerns about the costs of data center development, including support for a temporary construction moratorium and opposition to subsidies in Wrightstown.
Sen. Andre Jacque and Reps. Lindee Brill and Shae Sortwell, joined by Neenah Assemblyman Dean Kaufert, presented LRB 6903/1, which would repeal Wisconsin’s sales and use tax exemptions for data centers. The lawmakers said the exemption has encouraged hyperscale projects and could provide developers with more than $1.5 billion in construction-related tax savings and $369 million annually after projects are completed, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
The proposal follows polling showing broad voter concern about data center costs. The article cites an August 2026 Marquette Law School Poll in which 78% of Wisconsin voters said data center costs outweigh their benefits, while 67% supported a one-year moratorium on new construction. In a separate referendum, about 86% of voters in Wrightstown, Brown County, opposed support or subsidies for future data centers.