A 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation included in President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has brushed up against a mounting battle over the growth of data centers. “This isn’t a conspiracy theory; this was a recent issue in my Congressional district,” he wrote of concerns over the placement of data centers. “It was resolved at the local level because local officials had leverage. Barrie Tabin, the legislative director of the NCSL, told WIRED that the organization had heard directly from multiple state lawmakers who were concerned about how the moratorium may affect data center legislation. On the other hand, supporters of the moratorium—including White House AI adviser and venture capital investor David Sacks—say that the proliferation of state-level AI laws is creating a patchwork of policies that will stifle innovation if they continue to be passed.