"We've all seen the Facebook messages. We're all getting the phone calls and the emails," Lexington Rep. Chad Aull told Spectrum News ahead of Thursday's hearing on data centers.
Rep. Adrielle Camuel, also a Democrat from Lexington, said: They all had the same thing. They want their voice heard and they feel that they’re not being represented. And so, I think the best thing that we could do is actually, in the future, have a constitutional amendment, make this ballot initiative, and let the people make the decision.”
That's a step further than the governor or the state's GOP-led General Assembly have been willing to go.
Gov. Andy Beshear has signed an executive order seeking to ensure Kentuckians aren't left on the hook for extra energy costs and that data center developers must make their case to communities in a transparent way. Republican lawmakers have also advocated for tighter restrictions and the removal of financial incentives for data center companies.
But both have left room for individual communities to opt in favor of allowing the centers, noting the tax revenue benefits.
While Aull called the Thursday meeting a "first step" for the legislature as it lays the groundwork for the 2027 legislative session, Lexington leaders have a decision to make before the end of the month.
"On October 6th, the council is going to hear from the public and the council will then start discussing what to do," Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said.
Draft regulations would bar all hyperscale data centers in Lexington, but leave the door open to smaller operations if they meet an increasingly long list of regulatory requirements.
Just how tight those rules might be is still up for debate. And the public meeting could guide council members thinking as they consider how the city wants to deal with the projects.
The meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. in the government center on Wednesday, October.