By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson met with a group of residents Friday during a stop in Hays, where he answered questions about data centers, property taxes and education.
Masterson said he did not oppose data centers in Kansas, but that guardrails should be in place and local residents should have the final say on their construction.
“The overarching 100,000-foot of AI is that we are in a cold war with China over technology development of AI, which is going to control the data on the way. That's something we cannot afford to lose,” he said.
He said data centers should not increase energy costs for local residents, disrupt the environment or overuse resources.
“Then it's a local decision. You’ve got to let the locals decide where they go because there's places that make sense, and places that don't,” Masterson said.
Masterson said data centers could help ease property tax burdens for homeowners.
When the kids realized they weren’t going to move to fourth grade if they didn’t meet these minimum markers, they got serious, Masterson said. Schools put money into intense literacy training for that cohort in the summer, and those kids' motivation changed. Ninety percent of the 60% who had previously not met standards moved on and made the mark, and they continued to improve, he said.
He also said the state needs to create incentives to keep the best teachers in classrooms and not moving into administration.
He said he would also like to see more students earning technical certificates in high school with the opportunity to move directly into the workforce after graduation.
After the gathering, Masterson answered questions about his position with GoCreate, a makerspace at Wichita State University. He took a leave of absence from the $217,350-a-year position on Aug. 17, following political scrutiny and dismissed ethics complaints alleging it was a no-show job.
He added, “I've never in my entire career had anybody from there come up and tell me how to vote or put any undue pressure on me in my entire time there.”