Massachusetts state lawmakers push back against federal AI preemption legislation

Massachusetts state Sen. Michael Moore and Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier sent a letter to Rep. Lori Trahan opposing her negotiations with Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) on federal AI legislation that would preempt state AI laws. The state legislators argued that states like Massachusetts 'are moving to protect their residents from the clear harms' of unchecked AI deployment and warned that federal preemption could undermine data privacy protections. They requested a meeting with Trahan, who confirmed the negotiations are underway. The letter signals growing state-level resistance to the White House's federal AI preemption efforts and illustrates the partisan flashpoint around AI governance. Massachusetts has been a leader in state-level tech regulation.