William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's Seventh Congressional District, released a policy plan called "Stop Tech Overreach" that calls for a federal moratorium on data center development, mandatory environmental protections around data center siting, safety requirements for new AI models, and a national AI compact. The plan also includes a national jobs program funded by a tax on AI industry profits to offset AI-driven employment disruption, as well as limits on AI use in K-12 schools and a ban on AI in decisionmaking roles at the Social Security Administration. Lawrence's opponent, Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Barrett of Charlotte, has introduced legislation barring AI from making medical necessity determinations and ensuring human oversight of AI-enabled weapons systems, but his campaign says Barrett opposes federal dictation of local land use and zoning decisions. The two candidates share concerns about AI's labor market impacts but diverge sharply on the federal government's role in regulating local data center development.
A proposed federal moratorium on data center development, if advanced legislatively, would directly halt new facility construction across the country and create significant uncertainty for operators and investors planning large-scale AI infrastructure buildouts. The race in Michigan's Seventh Congressional District puts data center regulation at the center of a competitive general election contest, signaling that local community opposition to data centers is becoming a viable campaign issue with potential national policy consequences.
Will Lawrence's detailed regulatory plan for Big Tech and data centers in Michigan represents a notable political development at the state level, distinct from the Michigan moratorium advocacy already published, as it introduces a broader legislative framework proposal from a named candidate.