A growing debate over hyper‑scale data centers tied to artificial‑intelligence development is taking hold across South Dakota — including within Republican legislative leadership.
The latest example surfaced today during a joint leadership news conference, where Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff voiced opposition to House Speaker Jon Hansen’s proposed “Data Center Bill of Rights.”
Mehlhaff briefly outlined his concerns :
Hansen responded moments later with his own perspective:
With major questions still unresolved, lawmakers expect the policy fight over data‑center regulation and AI infrastructure to intensify in the coming weeks as the legislative session continues in Pierre.
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