Gov. Tina Kotek orders state to kill land sale for Salem data center 40%
By Whitney Woodworth27% Dianne Lugo50%
7/30/2026, 12:53:30 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 23 faulty reasoning types, including Ambiguity (Equivocation), Appeal to Authority, and Optimism Bias, with Self-Serving Bias as the most egregious example at 29.8% saturation with 175 hits. Analysis detected 1,033 faulty-reasoning hits from 587 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 38.7% and a BS Rank of 40% (16,829 of 28,054 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 60.00% of the article peer group.
Gov.
Tina Kotek on July 30 told the Department of Administrative Services to terminate the state's contract for the sale of about 32 acres at the Mill Creek Corporate Center in southeast Salem for a proposed data center, putting the future of the controversial project in jeopardy.
The land accounts for half of the 75-acre plot where tech company Verrus hopes to build the $5.1 billion Oakline at Mill Creek project.
Verrus company officials said they strongly disagree with Kotek's direction but shared in her commitment to protect Oregon's communities and values.
They said Kotek's decision was made unilaterally, without consultation and before Verrus had the opportunity to present its design, infrastructure plan and community benefit proposals to address these concerns and demonstrate the company's shared commitment to Oregon’s values.
Company leadership said Verrus still intends to pursue the project in Salem.
Kotek's announcement comes days after hundreds packed council chambers on July 27 to rally against the proposed data center.
Salem City Council is slated to meet Aug. 3 for a special meeting to consider initiating a moratorium on AI data centers and amendments to zoning codes to regulate AI data centers.
A city spokesman said Kotek's announcement has no impact on the need for discussion on the topic, and the meeting will continue as planned.
Salem City Manager Krishna Namburi stressed that the project was "not a done deal" and city leaders wanted residents to voice their concerns and be included in the public development process.
Kotek said she made the decision regarding the sale upon learning of the proposed development.
Her office said it reflects her commitment to ensuring state assets are managed in a manner that advances Oregon's long-term interests, supports local communities, and aligns with the state's priorities around affordability, responsible economic development and stewardship of public resources.
"This decision is about my responsibility to make sure state actions reflect Oregon's values and serve the public interest," Kotek said.
"I believe in growing Oregon's economy and welcoming new investment, including in the technology sector.
But growth has to make sense for the community, for our infrastructure, and for our natural resources.
Oregonians have made it clear they expect thoughtful, responsible decisions about projects of this scale, and I agree."
Her office said the governor supports economic development that creates family-wage jobs, strengthens regional economies, and helps Oregon compete for future investment while balancing impacts on housing, energy, water, transportation, and quality of life.
Kotek said the state will continue working with local governments, businesses, and communities to advance these economic development opportunities.
Kotek, in January, formed a Statewide Data Center Advisory Committee to develop policy recommendations around data centers.
They're scheduled to meet July 31 and on Aug. 4 will discuss and deliberate a draft report.
Verrus leadership said they have been participating in Oregon’s Data Center Advisory Committee and recently presented members with an overview of the company's model of responsible data center development that reduces water use, supports the electric grid and delivers strong community benefits.
"The team at Verrus believes there is a better way to build data centers while protecting the things we all care about most," company officials said.
"We remain committed to continued collaboration and respectful dialogue to deliver a project that benefits all Oregonians."
Whitney Woodworth is the Statesman Journal's watchdog reporter for city hall and covers economic development.
Send comments, questions and tips to her at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com or follow at @whitneywoodworth.bsky.social
Speakers
5speakers70%attributed speech175writer words
Selected voice
100%flagged-word coverageVerrus leadership
42 attributed words10% of attributed speech53% writer coverage
Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.