Gov. Tim Walz used the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision to highlight what he said would be the “major role” abortion will play in the November presidential election, and he argued that limiting access to reproductive health care is still a priority for many Republicans.

Walz, who serves as chair of the Democratic Governors Association, was joined by six other Democratic governors, including some facing close reelection battles in their home states. They said a person’s geography shouldn’t determine whether they can get an abortion.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and gave states permission to set abortion policy, 14 states enacted total abortion bans, and many more have enacted bans with gestational limits. 

Walz leaned into the stakes of the presidential election on one of the few issues that has been a clear winner for Democrats during the presidency of Joe Biden.

“You’re going to get a choice in November, whether it’s to vote for President Biden to protect those rights to continue on making sure that women have bodily autonomy, or to turn that clock back,” Walz said. “As Donald Trump said, he was so proud to be the architect in bringing down Roe v. Wade, so it becomes critically important.” 

Minnesota Democrats last year passed a law codifying the right to abortion and reproductive health care, and pregnant people appear to be coming to Minnesota as a safe haven. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the proportion of abortions obtained by out-of-state residents in Minnesota increased from about 9% in 2020 — when Roe was still in place — to about 21% in 2023. There were about 14,700 clinician-provided abortions in Minnesota last year, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month upheld broad access to an abortion pill — mifepristone — used in medication abortions. Medication abortions account for the vast majority of abortions in the U.S.

Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith last week introduced a bill to repeal the 1873 Comstock Act, which bans the mailing of obscene material, including abortion-related materials. Although the law is not being enforced, Smith and abortion advocates say a future Trump administration could weaponize the law to ban abortion pills from being sent in the mail. 

“Now that Trump has overturned Roe, a future Republican administration could try to misapply this 150-year-old Comstock law to deny American women their rights, even in states where abortion rights are protected by state law,” Smith said in a press release. “This is why I’m introducing legislation to repeal Comstock. It is too dangerous to leave this law on the books.”

A few of the governors during the Monday press conference criticized their Republican opponents challenging them in November.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said his state has one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, only allowing exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.

Beshear said leaving abortion access up to individual states endangers people in GOP states, particularly abuse survivors.

“There shouldn’t be a state in the United States of America where victims of rape and incest should have no options or where someone has to carry a non-viable pregnancy. That’s just wrong,” Beshear said.

Walz said the right to an abortion is sure to be among the factors people consider when voting.

“This is one that’s very personal to people. It’s not theoretical. Republicans keep trying to tell you that ‘Oh, this is over.’ Whatever, keep saying that because it’s far from over,” he said.

At the end of the press conference, Walz addressed the flooding caused by heavy rains affecting cities across Minnesota. Walz said that the damage could rival the 1997 Red River flooding that devastated many cities along the Minnesota-North Dakota border.

Walz said the state is preparing mitigation efforts and is ready to perform evacuations when necessary. He also said he’s ready to call a special legislative session if needed to allocate more funding to combat the flood, but the state isn’t at that point yet and the situation is developing.

WILLMAR

— Janessa Rodriguez was fresh out of high school in 2023, with no idea what her next steps would be.

Searching on the Indeed jobs website, she found an AmeriCorps math tutoring job at Roosevelt Elementary School in Willmar, a school that she attended.

“I struggled with math too, so I understood what these kiddos were going through,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t think I’d be good at it, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Tutors like Rodriguez help kids work on their math or reading skills individually or in small groups, a more personal approach to learning that AmeriCorps utilizes in schools across Minnesota.

The AmeriCorps tutoring program in Minnesota started with Reading Corps in 2003 and expanded with Math Corps in 2008. The organization’s goal is to get kids in grades K-3 to achieve grade-level proficiency in reading and math. However, according to AmeriCorps, fewer than a third of Minnesota students are doing so.

That’s why the organization is looking for 900 tutors across Minnesota for the upcoming school year, including in Willmar, Paynesville and Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City schools.

“Ever since the pandemic, students have fallen behind in these areas,” said Laura Isdahl, senior manager at Reading Corps. “That’s why the need for these positions have grown.”

That’s why a more personal approach to early learning could be a solution, according to the director of Minnesota programs Christine Fankhanel.

“When students work with a tutor, incredible things happen,” said Fankhanel in a news release. “They often make more than a year’s progress during the school year.”

Rodriguez can attest to that.

“One of the most rewarding things about this job is that light bulb moment when a kid understands a concept that they’re struggling with,” Rodriguez said. “And to not only build relationships with the kiddos, but the staff as well, it’s very rewarding.”

Rodriguez is now going to Ridgewater College, receiving tuition assistance from AmeriCorps. Tutoring, however, is not just for high school graduates or college students.

Isdahl said about two-thirds of tutors are retirees or parents who want to get back into the workforce. They also have flexible hours, with the choice of working 18, 25 or 35 hours a week, with a stipend every two weeks that is equivalent to about $15 an hour.

Isdahl also said that there is training for tutors before their positions start to ensure they feel prepared.

“I’d highly recommend it, especially for college students,” said Rodriguez. “But it’s really for anybody who wants to work with kids.”

AmeriCorps directs those interested in a position to go online for more information at

join.readingandmath.org

.