Data center hearing canceled; Rally at Capitol takes its place
A Missouri House of Representatives committee public hearing on data center regulation was canceled and replaced by a rally at the Capitol. The rally, organized by groups like No MO Dirty Data Centers, advocates for stricter state-level data center regulations, including increased transparency and public review standards for hyper-scale projects as proposed in Rep. Tricia Byrnes' "People Before Powerful Interests Act".
A public hearing by the Missouri House of Representatives Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, originally scheduled for September 16 to discuss data center regulation, has been canceled. Committee Chair Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-Wentzville) announced the decision, stating it was made in conjunction with rally organizers to avoid competition.
Instead, Byrnes is urging people to attend a rally at the Capitol on the same day. This rally is sponsored by No MO Dirty Data Centers and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, two organizations advocating for data center reform in the state. Byrnes has previously detailed her "People Before Powerful Interests Act," which aims to increase regulation on hyper-scale data centers by enhancing project transparency and establishing stricter public review standards. The Missouri Rural Crisis Center previously protested an Amazon Web Services data center project in Montgomery County.