Jamee Decio
Elkhart native | Trailblazer | Child advocate | Justice seeker | Proud union memberPolicy Platforms
AI and Datacenters
True technological progress should improve our communities, support our workforce, and expand possibilities and opportunities for Hoosiers. It should never be used as a tool for corporate exploitation that burdens working families or silences local voices. Massive AI data centers must not drain community resources or cost Hoosiers their jobs, farms, or safety.
Common-sense guardrails can ensure that Big Tech pays its own way, respects local control, and operates with transparency to protect our economy, our children, and our natural environment.
The Problem
AI datacenters require a staggering amount of electricity
Without federal and state protections, the cost of upgrading the power grid to meet this demand is shifted onto residential ratepayers, causing monthly utility bills to skyrocket for families already struggling with inflation.
A single large datacenter can consume millions of gallons of water daily for cooling
In the 2nd District, our agricultural economy depends on the access to cheap, clean water. “Exporting” our water to cool servers for global tech giants is an unsustainable trade-off that threatens our food security, our local economy, and our environment.
The empty promise of job creation is a pattern we’ve seen before
Tech companies often promise economic development, but the reality is a brief construction boom followed by a massive, permanent facility that employs only a handful of people.
Local voices are being silenced
Preemption laws and secretive NDAs have allowed datacenter projects to be greenlit behind closed doors, stripping local town boards and citizens of their right to decide what happens in their own backyards.
The safety and security of Hoosier children, jobs, and communities is taking a backseat to corporate profits
From AI-generated deepfakes to addictive algorithms designed to keep kids glued to screens, the digital safety of our children is being sidelined for corporate profit. Current laws haven’t kept pace with the weaponization of AI-generated media. Additionally, tens of thousands of American jobs are being cut because of AI restructuring.
For the 2nd District’s manufacturing and service sectors, there is a growing risk that loyal employees will be replaced by algorithms that don’t pay local taxes or shop at local businesses.
Proposed, Actionable Solutions
Tech Companies Must Pay Their Own Way
Establish a federal framework that mandates that large datacenters fully fund their own infrastructure upgrades and pay a premium rate for energy use, legally preventing utility companies from shifting those costs onto residential customers.
Prioritize Data Center Transparency
Ban the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by any public entity negotiating with datacenter developers.
Local Sovereignty Comes First
Advocate for local governments to maintain zoning authority, ensuring that the people of the 2nd District—not bureaucrats or tech lobbyists—have the final say on site selection.
Introduce “Water-First” Standards & Agricultural Safeguards
Enact federal requirements that prioritize ag over AI. Agricultural and residential water rights must take legal precedence over industrial cooling. If the pumps threaten a farmer’s well or a town’s clean water supply, the servers must be the first thing to shut down.
AI Accountability & Safety Mandates
Advocate for a universal “AI-Generated” watermark icon on all AI media to protect our children, our elections, and our communities from deepfakes. Prevent corporations from using AI as a sole justification for mass layoffs without providing significant worker retraining and severance.
Why This Matters for Hoosiers
For Indiana families, farmers, and business owners, this is a matter of basic fairness and local survival. You shouldn’t have to deal with massive utility rate hikes just so out-of-state tech monopolies can maximize their server capacity. True economic development means protecting the 2nd District’s private property, local businesses, and precious water supplies from being exploited by secretive, backroom deals. By keeping zoning laws in local hands and demanding that Big Tech fully funds its own infrastructure, we ensure our communities stay affordable, our family farms stay viable, and our local economy remains built by and for the people who actually live here.
Looking toward tomorrow, we must refuse to let blind corporate efficiency become the ultimate measure of human value. Technology must be a tool that serves human dignity, not a force that hollows out our workforce or replaces the truth with automated deception. We have a duty to stand up to big-tech overreach today, safeguarding our children’s digital safety and protecting our neighbors’ livelihoods. By demanding transparency and accountability, we are doing our part to ensure the next generation inherits an Indiana with an honest economy, a voice in their own government, and an opportunity to build their own prosperous future.
