Stephen Sanders says he plans to use provisions of state law to seek another three months beyond Lubbock’s proposed 90-day moratorium on large-scale data centers, while hinting at possible litigation. In an exclusive interview with Benji Snead on 92.3 The Hub, Sanders also discussed a possible future District 4 City Council campaign and his group’s newest effort to ban Flock license-plate cameras in Lubbock.
Save Lubbock founder Stephen Sanders says his fight over large-scale data centers is not finished, revealing Tuesday that he intends to pursue a path under Texas law that he believes could extend Lubbock’s proposed three-month moratorium to six months.
Sanders, appearing on The Wake Up Call with Benji Snead on 92.3 The Hub, also left open the possibility that the dispute could eventually wind up in court.
That would mark a significant new twist in the ongoing debate over large-scale data centers in Lubbock.
The City Council voted 5-2 on Sept. 22 to begin the process of imposing a 90-day moratorium on certain approvals involving large-scale data centers while the city studies potential regulations governing issues including water, electricity, zoning, noise and lighting. The measure still must complete the required public-hearing and approval process.
Save Lubbock originally sought a much longer period. The organization gathered thousands of signatures for an 18-month moratorium, but that proposal failed to receive a second at the Sept. 22 council meeting and therefore did not advance to a vote. Sanders subsequently said he is pleased with the “compromise”, and his organization would not pursue putting that proposal before voters.
Tuesday, however, Sanders disclosed another strategy: using what he says is authority available under state law to seek an additional 90 days after the city’s initial moratorium, which would mean doubling the city approved timeline.
“The law that they said that we were out of range on or not in the scope of law says that you can’t have a moratorium for more than 90 days, and then you can get an extension for 90 more days,” Sanders said. “That’s the law.”
Sanders later added: “We’ll have to have that extension. The 90-day extension. So we’ll end up, after litigation, it’ll probably end up being about 270 days, to be honest with you.”
That statement is particularly important because Texas law limits how municipalities can impose development moratoriums, and the precise legal mechanism Sanders says could permit an extension will determine whether his proposal can move forward.
Sanders: Data centers are probably coming
Sanders also offered a more nuanced assessment of data centers than his role leading ‘Save Lubbock’ might suggest.
He remains opposed to the data-center projects in Lubbock and said he is doing what he can to stop them. At the same time, Sanders acknowledged that large-scale data centers are likely coming to the Lubbock area eventually, and said their tax revenue could ultimately benefit the community.
“I don’t know that we’ll be able to stop data centers from coming. This is just reality. And people need to be prepared for that, because it could happen,” Sanders said. “I’m doing everything I can to keep them away, but it may happen. And the money will be good for us tax wise. Once we get all of the guardrails up and in line.”
That distinction could become increasingly important as city leaders move from debating whether data centers should build in Lubbock to determining what restrictions should govern them.
Meanwhile, Sanders said he will continue working with city leaders and the Planning and Zoning Commission as Lubbock develops requirements for large-scale projects. The commission is scheduled to take up regulations related to large-scale data centers and power generation, transmission and distribution during a 5 p.m. work session Thursday, including proposed changes to city definitions, the land-use matrix and specific-use standards.
‘Save Lubbock’ turns its attention to Flock cameras
Even as the data-center debate continues, Sanders and Save Lubbock have opened another front at City Hall.
The organization is collecting signatures for a citizen initiative seeking to prohibit the city’s use of Flock Safety cameras and other automated license-plate reader technology.
The petition needs at least 2,410 verified signatures by Oct. 30 to force City Council consideration. Its proposed ordinance would go considerably further than imposing additional safeguards: it calls for ending existing contracts, removing cameras, purging stored camera data and prohibiting future use of the technology.
Sanders framed his opposition in intensely personal terms during Tuesday’s interview, questioning why government should have the ability to record the movements of ordinary residents who are not suspected of committing crimes.
“I don’t want people taking pictures of me. I don’t want people taking pictures of my car. I don’t want people taking my wife’s route to school or my wife’s route to church or whatever we’re doing. They don’t need to know that,” Sanders said.
Sanders also pointed to a recent case involving parents traveling with their infant who were mistakenly stopped after an automated license-plate reader confused their vehicle with one associated with a stolen plate.
In that incident, reported in Sherwood, Arkansas, officers detained and handcuffed the parents while their approximately six-week-old baby was in the vehicle. Reporting on the body-camera footage said the couple’s plate differed from the stolen plate in its final character.
“I’ve seen a lady, she had just had a C-section, had a baby, on the way home, staples in her tummy, all the different things. And the license plate reader reads one number wrong,” Sanders said. “They pull her over, they say, ‘This car was in a robbery, get out of the car.’”
Sanders continued: “He checks the license plate again right on the spot and realizes it’s one number off.”
Lubbock law enforcement officials have defended the technology as a valuable investigative tool. Lubbock Police Chief Seth Herman has said losing access to the cameras would increase the manpower required for police work, telling city leaders, “we’re gonna need a lot more officers.” Lubbock Lights previously reported that police conducted more than 37,000 Flock searches during the first seven months of 2026.
Another City Council campaign?
Sanders also used the interview to leave the door open to another campaign for public office.
The former mayoral candidate has made multiple runs for city office. Asked specifically about a possible future campaign for the District 4 City Council seat, Sanders did not rule it out.
Asked whether he would run for mayor again, Sanders replied: “I don’t know. You know, I’m in prayer about that. I will say this because I like to be candid with people. I live in District 4.”
For now, Sanders said his focus remains on the citizen-petition process, a tool that has transformed ‘Save Lubbock’ from a grassroots organization protesting data centers into an increasingly active participant in debates over city policy.
Its first petition helped force the data-center issue squarely before the City Council.
Its second is aimed at protecting the privacy of citizens from AI camera technology. .
