State Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Ruwa Romman introduced House Bill 1012 at the Capitol last week. The bill would place a temporary moratorium on future data center projects in Georgia until 2027.
Romman sat down with The Atlanta Voice on Wednesday, January 21, to explain why she wanted to introduce the bill. “The goal is to allow municipal, county, and state-level government officials enough time to implement the proper regulations before we permanently alter the landscape of our state,” Romman said.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce has already opposed the bill before sitting down with her, according to Romman.
Romman said the idea would be to give Georgians time to prepare for the upcoming Public Service Commission (PSC) election in November and the other seats that will need to be filled over the next year. The PSC seats play a major role in final decisions on energy-related projects. Current PSC Peter Hubbard, who won the seat in November 2025, will be back on the ballot in May for a full term. There is another seat on the commission up for vote as well.
“All we’re saying is just give us some time to pass the legislation that makes sense, to allow Georgians to vote on PSC seats, to take a breather,” Romman said.
While campaigning for governor, Romman said she has been hearing about how data centers are affecting people’s way of life all around the state.
The bill will need to be passed on to a committee for study and potentially brought back to the floor for vote. Romman said she has bipartisan support for the bill.
“We’re not saying we don’t want data centers, we’re saying we want more time,” Romman said.
The news cycle in Georgia just doesn’t stop. Outside of the Capitol on Wednesday, January 21, a woman held a sign that read, “Georgia, treat our prisoners like human beings.” That woman, Dawn Arthan, is with the organization, Prison Health Georgia, and she was wearing a t-shirt that had the words “Incarcerated Lives Matter. She told The Atlanta Voice that she was planning on returning on Thursday. “I’ve been coming down here for years,” Arthan said.
Across the street from the Capitol in Liberty Plaza, multiple veterans organizations gathered for a rally in opposition of House Bill (HB) 108. The bill provides certain protections for veterans, but has not been supported by veteran-focused organizations. Democratic State Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Derrick Jackson, a United States Navy veteran, was in attendance. Several dozen veterans of all the branches of the military chanted “Kill the bill” during the peaceful protest.
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Donnell Suggs
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