Kansas Cities Sue Residents Over Anti-Data Center Petitions

POLICY WIRE — Topeka, Kansas — Residents in Kansas who oppose the construction of data centers in their communities have found themselves unexpectedly in legal battles with their own cities.

Three cities in Kansas — Edgerton, El Dorado, and Emporia — have filed lawsuits against residents who signed petitions to ban these facilities. The petitions sought to have the entire city vote on ordinances to prohibit data centers.

Kimberly Twente, a resident of Edgerton, described the city’s lawsuit as a scare tactic. She and other defendants were sued under a state law that requires cities to either pass ordinances demanded by petition signers or allow local voters to decide.

City officials in Edgerton, El Dorado, and Emporia have not directly commented on the lawsuits. However, Edgerton’s City Attorney, Todd Luckman, stated that Kansas law mandates that individuals affected by a decision must be notified and involved in the process.

Troy Harp, an anti-data-center activist from Osawatomie, shared his petition with opponents in the three cities that sued their residents. He emphasized the importance of community voice in decisions of such magnitude.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)