Missouri’s governor has embraced data centers. Some Republicans are pushing back
More than a dozen Republican lawmakers this week urged Gov. Mike Kehoe to call a special session to enact guardrails for data centers, illustrating the latest schism over the dramatic growth of the artificial intelligence industry.
The letter, signed by 15 Republican state lawmakers, raised alarm about the impact of data centers on the state’s electrical infrastructure, water resources, roads and residents’ quality of life and data protection.
“The rapid emergence of large-scale data center proposals and artificial intelligence technologies is creating challenges that existing laws were never designed to address,” the letter said. “Missouri should not wait until irreversible decisions are made before determining whether adequate protections exist for its citizens.”
The letter appears to represent a divide among Republicans, who hold every statewide office and control both chambers of the legislature, over how to address AI and the massive data centers that power it.
When asked about the letter, a spokesperson for Kehoe said the Republican governor believes “data center investments should be considered at a local level — and he has encouraged local leaders to ask tough questions for any major project considering their community.”
“However, he does not believe the state should interfere with local economic development efforts and the rights of individual landowners,” said spokesperson Gabby Picard.
The Republican governor has openly embraced the AI industry during his 17 months in office. He recently convened a forum that promoted the industry’s growth in Missouri. He signed an executive order earlier this year that expanded the use of AI in state government. And his administration has pursued large-scale data center projects, including in Kansas City.
Kehoe has also criticized skeptics of the AI industry, claiming without evidence last week that “enemies of this country” have spread misinformation about data centers.
In an email to The Star, Picard pointed to legislation that lawmakers passed last year designed to require companies to pay for the power that data centers use and infrastructure costs. She also said that Kehoe believes that data centers “create lasting benefits for local communities,” including infrastructure, new tax revenue and future economic growth.
“Governor Kehoe looks forward to working with legislators on policies that address artificial intelligence, keep Missouri at the forefront of economic growth and protect Missouri communities in the upcoming regular legislative session,” Picard said.
The letter, spearheaded by state Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, stopped short of criticizing Kehoe’s stance on data centers and AI. But it pointed to broad resistance to the industry, which has sparked fierce voter backlash in local elections in Independence and across the state in Festus.
The most recent legislative session ended last month. But Kehoe has the power to call lawmakers back to Jefferson City in a special session this summer, a power he wielded twice last year.
“A Special Session would allow lawmakers to identify gaps in current law, evaluate appropriate safeguards, and consider measures such as a Missouri Consumer Data Bill of Rights,” the letter said.
The letter comes as some lawmakers of both parties have pushed for stricter regulations while President Donald Trump and national Republicans have promoted a more hands-off approach to AI.
State Rep. Tricia Byrnes, a Wentzville Republican, is organizing a Sept. 16 public hearing in Jefferson City to discuss data center regulations. Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri recently cast the dangers of AI as a moral dilemma.
“We must regulate, and yes, I did use that verb — regulate — artificial intelligence in the economy to ensure that it aids the worker, but does not displace him,” Hawley said during a speech in Washington earlier this month.
But as fights over AI and data centers have roiled politics in recent weeks, legislation to regulate both has languished nationally and in Missouri.
This year, lawmakers considered a slew of bills to enact state-level guardrails for the industry, including legislation that would ensure humans or companies remain liable for harm caused by AI, banning AI from having legal rights, prohibiting the use of AI in prescribing medicine and imposing age restrictions for chatbots.
However, those bills failed to cross the finish line, frustrating voters and lawmakers of both parties.
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 1:19 PM.
