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Wednesday 9 august 2023
A proposed constitutional change before Ohio voters could

determine abortion rights in the state

in the debate over the fu- than double the early vote conservative-leaning states
ture of abortion rights in the during primary elections in moving to protect access
United States. 2018 and 2022, when high to abortion. AP VoteCast
The proposal on the bal- profile races for U.S. Senate polling last year found that
lot, known as Issue 1, would and governor were on the 59% of Ohio voters say
raise the threshold for pass- ballot. The vote on Tuesday abortion should generally
ing future changes to the is poised to become the be legal. The campaign in
Ohio Constitution from a latest referendum on abor- favor of Issue 1, Protect Our
simple majority to 60%. tion rights since the U.S. Su- Constitution, has told voters
That would raise the bar preme Court’s decision last that raising the threshold
for another election in No- year to rescind federal pro- will keep deep-pocketed
vember, when voters in tections for the procedure, interest groups from push-
the state are scheduled to creating a state-by-state ing redistricting, gun con-
consider a constitutional patchwork of restrictions trol and minimum wage
amendment that would and bans. Voters in other policies on Ohio. One Per-
Voters come and go at the Beachwood Community Center in guarantee access to abor- Republican-leaning states, son One Vote, the oppo-
Beachwood, Ohio, Tuesday morning, Aug. 8, 2023, to vote on tion. including Kansas and Ken- sition campaign, argues
Issue 1, an abortion rights amendment, during the special elec- With that in mind, voters tucky, have responded by that raising the threshold
tion to decide the issue. are turning out in massive protecting abortion ac- for passing future amend-
(David Petkiewicz/Cleveland.com via AP)
numbers for a summer spe- cess, and the issue helped ments would prioritize the
By Julie Carr Smyth and Sa- are weighing whether to cial election. During the Democrats limit their losses interests of Ohio’s increas-
mantha Hendrickson make it more difficult to early voting period, which in last year’s midterm elec- ingly conservative GOP
Associated Press change the state’s consti- ended Sunday, the num- tions. supermajority at the state-
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — tution, a decision that will ber of advance ballots cast Ohio could be well po- house over those of every-
Voters in Ohio on Tuesday have national implications hit nearly 700,000, more sitioned to join the list of day voters. q

Biden announcing historic Grand Canyon monument designation

during his Arizona visit

Continued from Front tive American cabinet sec- significant to the Havas- the monument site encom- ignation would strip them
retary. “It will help ensure upai and Hopi tribes. passes around 1.3% of the of privately owned land.
Arizona is a key battle- that indigenous people Representatives of vari- nation’s known and un- The landscape of Arizona’s
ground state that Biden can continue to use these ous northern Arizona tribes derstood uranium reserves. political delegation has
won narrowly in 2020, be- areas for religious ceremo- have been invited to at- Officials say there are sig- since changed consider-
coming the first Democrat nies, hunting and gathering tend Biden’s remarks. nificant resources in other ably. Gov. Katie Hobbs,
since Bill Clinton in 1996 of plants, medicines and Among them are Yava- parts of the country that will Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly
to carry it. And it’s one of other materials, including pai-Apache Nation Chair- remain accessible. and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema,
only a few genuinely com- some found nowhere else woman Tanya Lewis, Colo- A U.S. Geological Survey an independent, are all on
petitive states heading into on Earth,” said Haaland, rado River Indian Tribes in 2021 found most springs board. Hobbs, a Democrat,
next year’s election. Win- who recently visited the Chairwoman Amelia Flores, and wells in a vast region of has openly urged Biden to
ning Arizona would be a Havasupai Indian Reserva- Navajo President Buu Ny- northern Arizona known for issue a designation. In a
critical part of Biden’s ef- tion. “It will protect objects gren and Havasupai Tribal its high-grade uranium ore letter sent to Biden in May,
forts to secure a second of historic and scientific im- Councilwoman Dianna Sue meet federal drinking wa- Hobbs claimed that she
term. Later Tuesday, Biden portance for the benefit of White Dove Uqualla. Uqual- ter standards despite dec- heard from people across
will fly to New Mexico, con- tribes, the public and for fu- la is part of a group of tribal ades of uranium mining. the political spectrum, in-
sidered safe for Democrats ture generations.” dancers who will perform a In 2017, Democratic Presi- cluding sporting groups
in 2024, and he will visit the Biden arrived Monday blessing. dent Barack Obama and outdoor groups, in sup-
Republican stronghold of evening at Grand Canyon “It’s really the uranium we backed off a full-on monu- port of a monument.
Utah as part of his western National Park Airport and don’t want coming out of ment designation. The idea Mining companies and the
swing later in the week. was greeted by Democrat- the ground because it’s faced a hostile reception areas that would benefit
Campaign politics aside, ic congressmen Raúl Grijal- going to affect everything from Arizona’s Republican from their business remain
tribes and environmental- va and Ruben Gallego. Bi- around us — the trees, the governor and two senators. vehemently opposed.
ists for decades have been den embraced them when land, the animals, the peo- Then-Gov. Doug Ducey Buster Johnson, a Mohave
trying to safeguard the land he got off Air Force One, ple,” Uqualla said. “It’s not threatened legal action, County supervisor, said the
north and south of Grand and the trio chatted for a going to stop.” saying Arizona already has monument proposal feels
Canyon National Park, few minutes. Grijalva, who The Interior Department, enough national monu- solely politically driven and
while Republican lawmak- serves on the House Natural reacting to concerns over ments. there should have been
ers and the mining industry Resources Committee, has the risk of contaminating Opponents of establishing another hearing on the
tout the economic benefits repeatedly introduced leg- water, enacted a 20-year a monument have argued matter. He doesn’t see the
and raise mining as a mat- islation to create the monu- moratorium on the filing of it won’t help combat a lin- point of not tapping into
ter of national security. ment. new mining claims around gering drought and could uranium and making the
The designation is a remind- The president will be speak- the national park in 2012. prevent thinning of for- country less dependent on
er of a “new era” in which ing in an area that is be- Existing mining claims will ests and stop hunters from Russia.
collaboration and steward- tween Pinyon Plain Mine, not be affected by this keeping wildlife popula- “We need uranium for the
ship with tribes is valued, which is being developed designation, senior Biden tions in check. Ranchers in security of our country,”
said U.S. Interior Secretary and has not opened, and administration officials Utah near the Arizona bor- Johnson said. “We’re out of
Deb Haaland, the first Na- Red Butte, a site culturally countered. Furthermore, der say the monument des- the game.”q