Local votes and rules
⚖️ Court case · Yellowstone County
Commissioners voted 3-0 to file a lawsuit asking a district court whether a new citizen ballot measure is valid. The measure would require two-thirds of voters to approve any data center before it starts or restarts, force the county to pause the Broadview-area project with interim zoning, and release county emails with the data center industry. Organizers aim for the spring 2027 ballot.
📌 Other · Yellowstone County
Commissioners sent a letter asking local state lawmakers to change the 2025 Right to Compute Act in the 2027 session. They want it to say clearly that counties and cities can still control where data centers go and how they run, through zoning, permits and health and safety rules. They said the law limits what the county can do now.
📌 Other · Yellowstone County
Residents asked commissioners to use emergency (interim) zoning to pause the Broadview-area data center for a year. The county attorney said the 2025 Right to Compute Act makes this very hard and that the developer would likely sue. The commission was not expected to act on the request.
⚖️ Court case · Yellowstone County
Commissioners voted unanimously to ask a district court whether a citizen ballot measure was legal. The measure would have required two-thirds of registered voters to approve any new data center in the county. The county also said a new state law moved the signature deadline earlier. In August a judge sided with the county, and the measure did not go on the November ballot.
✋ Turned down · Yellowstone County
The county turned down a residents' petition to create a special zoning district near Broadview, where a large data center is planned. The county said the petition did not include enough draft rules and supporting papers.
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In Montana, cities and towns decide inside their limits. Outside them, the county decides.