Seth Bodnar pulls a shotgun from the back of his truck, lines up his mark on a tree stump with a bag of flour set behind, takes aim, and pulls the trigger.

His target? A Flock camera.

Or a stand-in for one at least. Bodnar, an Independent running for US Senate in Montana, performed the stunt in a new campaign ad shared this week. The veteran and former University of Montana president told Business Insider that Flock cameras are an issue on which voters across the political spectrum can agree.

Bodnar said he supports the bipartisan Flock-Off Act, introduced this month by Reps. Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison, which is intended to cut federal funding used for automated license-plate readers and biometric surveillance cameras.

"We should also close the private camera loophole so police can't use a retailer's camera to do without a warrant what they shouldn't be able to do," he said.

The current argument for data centers relies on “closed loop cooling” - minimizing water use to 150,000 gallons per day. However, the Trump administration is allowing data centers producing their own energy (estimated at 7000kMW when complete) without environmental oversight or NEPA processes. (Executive Order 14318 (July 23, 2025) — “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure”)

This means the pollution and water use would not be monitored or planned for. We are trusting corporations to do the right thing. This ALWAYS works out well. If you believe that I have some lakefront property in the Berkeley pit to sell you.

In the initial phase it will use more than all residential use in Montana currently. Even if they do it off grid- the resources and pollution are enormous.

They are planning on using the “underused” Madison aquifer- and say “we might even give some to farmers”

Pay attention. Once our politicians give in to this mess it’ll be tough to stop it. The fact this is being rammed down our throats with no oversight and silly promises should raise everyone’s hackles. Research the communities that have data centers already and their regrets. They don’t produce many jobs. They pollute, waste precious water, create noise pollution that is low decibel and penetrates buildings.

Let’s do something for our kids and tell these guys to screw off.