Minnesota
Walz, Democratic governors say abortion will be on the November ballot • Minnesota Reformer
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.
Taiyon Coleman has been writing since she was a child. At age eight, she announced to her family that a novel was in the works.
Today, she’s a published author and a professor of literature at St. Catherine University. But the road from there to here wasn’t as straight-forward as you might think.
Coleman joins host Kerri Miller on Big Books and Bold Ideas this week to talk about what happened in the in-between. Some of it is detailed in her new collection of personal essays, “Traveling without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America.”
But the deeper story is held in Coleman’s body, in her voice, in her strength. Don’t miss this vulnerable and moving conversation about mothers and ancestors, writing and truth-telling and the power of being a teacher.
Guest:
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Minnesota
Valleyfair theme park to close for unprecedented Minnesota flooding, not offering refunds to guests
Valleyfair theme park in Minnesota is not offering refunds despite closing down three rides and the entirety of its parking options due to flooding.
The amusement park, located between the Minnesota River and Blue Lake, flooded in areas below “the crest” according to a release from Valleyfair.
On an FAQ page, Valleyfair states that “Projections show that the Minnesota River will crest on Saturday, June 29. We do not yet know how long it will take for the river to recede to normal levels as that depends on the weather.”
BEAR EUTHANIZED AFTER INJURING TENNESSEE THEME PARK CONCESSION STAND EMPLOYEE
Popular rides Excalibur, Thunder Canyon and Renegade are impacted by the flooding and are closed. Additionally, almost the entirety of on-site parking has been flooded.
Buses will be provided free of charge by Valleyfair for guests from the Canterbury Overflow Lot, Eagle Creek Park and Ride, and Southbridge Crossing Park and Ride.
A rollercoaster at Valleyfair amusement park in Minnesota is underwater after heavy flooding across the midwest. (Valleyfair)
Operating hours have been changed from 10:00am to 9:00 pm until further notice, and a “temporary gate entrance” is in use. Re-entries to the park are highly discouraged.
Per Valleyfair’s FAQ page, “There will be no re-entry during the flood-impacted days for all guests, including season passholders, due to the very limited space and capacity at the temporary park entrance.”
Valleyfair amusement park in Minnesota is not offering refunds to guests due to flooding from heavy rainfall. (KMSP)
A Fourth of July fireworks show slated for next week has also been rescheduled for “later this season,” with no official scheduled date as yet.
Refunds are not being offered by Valleyfair amusement park at this time, given their weather impact policy: “Valleyfair does not offer refunds for tickets impacted by weather, unless the guest selected the Ticket Insurance option.”
“We do, however, offer guests the opportunity to choose another similarly priced date should they wish to move their visit to another day by using our Guest Portal,” the statement reads.
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Valleyfair did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
ROSEVILLE — A lottery player in Baxter is Minnesota’s newest multi-millionaire.
A ticket worth $2,045,590 was sold at Orton’s Baxter Holiday, 5610 Fairview Road, for the Wednesday, June 26, Gopher 5 drawing. The win earns the store a $5,000 bonus.
The winning Gopher 5 numbers drawn on June 26 are 16-29-35-43-46.
The previous Gopher 5 record was $2,032,201 and won on a ticket purchased at Steve’s Corner in St. James on Nov. 8, 2005. The prize was claimed by a group of 22 co-workers from the Watonwan County Highway Department/Public Works Department.
The prize must be claimed at Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville. It is recommended that winners
call ahead to check hours and to make an appointment
.
Unless the winner chooses to opt in to publicity, their name and city will not be released. As of Sept. 1, 2021, the names and cities of lottery prize winners above $10,000 are private data.
Gopher 5 is a Minnesota-only lotto game. Each ticket costs $1 to play. Jackpots start at $100,000 and grow until won. The overall odds to win a Gopher 5 jackpot are 1 in 1,533,939. Drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tickets must be purchased by 6:10 p.m. on drawing days.
Visit
www.mnlottery.com
for more information and official rules.
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