Page 4 - aruba-today-20230728

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 28 July 2023

Judge gives deadline extension to organizers trying to stop ‘Cop

City’ with signature campaign

By R.J. RICO separate dispute.
Associated Press “We are thrilled by Judge
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal Cohen’s ruling, and the ex-
judge on Thursday signifi- pansion of democracy to
cantly extended the dead- include our DeKalb neigh-
line for Atlanta organizers bors, and levels the playing
who have been trying to field for our coalition,” said
gather more than 70,000 Mary Hooks, a lead orga-
signatures to force a vote nizer for the coalition. “Cop
on the construction of a City has been marred time
police and firefighter train- and time again by the si-
ing center that critics call “ lencing of democratic in-
Cop City.” put and repression of com-
U.S. District Judge Mark munity participation, and
Cohen ruled that the city since the launch of this
had imposed an unlawful campaign, we have been
requirement that those col- playing on a field tilted in
lecting signatures have to the city of Atlanta’s favor.”
be residents of Atlanta. A Asked whether officials
group of people who live in plan to appeal the ruling,
DeKalb County just outside a spokesperson for Mayor
the city had sued saying Andre Dickens said officials
they should be allowed to Activist Hannah Riley works on her laptop at Muchacho, a local taco restaurant, while gathering are reviewing the judge’s
join in the canvassing ef- signatures from fellow voters, in Atlanta, Thursday, July 13, 2023. decision and will have
fort and noting that the Associated Press more information later.
planned site for the training “The choice is simple,”
center itself is in unincorpo- as to why permitting non- thousands of signatures still 30,000 residents to sign on the spokesperson said in a
rated DeKalb County, out- resident plaintiffs to gather needed for the proposed to the effort, according to statement. “We can either
side the city limits. signatures ... will cause any referendum to get on the Paul Glaze, a spokesperson have the best-trained fire-
“Requiring signature gath- disruption to the political ballot. for the Vote to Stop Cop fighters and police officers
erers to be residents of process.” The effort is meant to allow City Coalition. or we can decide to settle
the city imposes a severe Cohen said that the 60- voters to choose whether Attorneys for the city and for sub-par training condi-
burden on core political day period for gathering they want to repeal the state had urged the judge tions in sub-par facilities.”
speech and does little to signatures, which had put ordinance that authorized to toss the entire referen- Organizers have said they
protect the city’s interest in the deadline in mid-Au- the lease of the city-owned dum campaign, calling it need to collect the signa-
self-governance,” Cohen gust, should be restarted. land upon which the proj- “futile,” and “invalid,” but tures by Aug. 14 in order to
wrote, adding: “The city That means organizers will ect is set to be built. Cohen declined to rule on make it onto the Novem-
has offered no specifics have until late Septem- As of Tuesday, organiz- its legality, saying it was not ber ballot. q
ber to gather the tens of ers had gotten more than up to him to decide that

Alaska asks Supreme Court to strike down the rejection of a

proposed mine

ANCHORAGE, Alaska ing fisheries. case heard directly by the appropriate given the ex- proposals to build or oper-
(AP) — The state of Alaska Alaska Attorney General Supreme Court rather than traordinary decision being ate a mine to develop the
wants the U.S. Supreme Treg Taylor in a statement first in the lower courts is “an challenged.” deposit that would result in
Court to strike down a fed- Wednesday said having a extraordinary ask, but it’s “The EPA’s order strikes at the same or greater level of
eral agency’s rejection of a the heart of Alaska’s sover- impacts.
proposed copper and gold eignty, depriving the State Canada-based Northern
mine in southwest Alaska’s of its power to regulate its Dynasty Minerals Ltd. owns
Bristol Bay region. lands and waters,” accord- the Pebble Limited Part-
The U.S. Environmental Pro- ing to the court filing. nership, which is pursuing
tection Agency in January An EPA spokesperson said the mine. Northern Dynasty
blocked the proposed Peb- the agency was review- President and CEO Ron
ble Mine, citing concerns ing Wednesday’s filing, the Thiessen in a statement said
with potential impacts on Anchorage Daily News re- the company plans to sup-
a rich aquatic ecosystem ported. port the state in its legal ac-
that supports the world’s The EPA has said its deci- tion and left open the pos-
largest sockeye salmon fish- sion would prohibit certain sibility of pursuing separate
ery. It was the 14th time in waters from being used as litigation.
the roughly 50-year history disposal sites for the dis- In cases where states sue
of the federal Clean Water charge of material for the the federal government,
Act that the EPA flexed its construction and opera- they can bring complaints
powers to bar or restrict ac- This Sept. 2011 aerial photo provided by the Environmental tion of the proposed Peb- directly to the court, though
tivities over their potential Protection Agency, shows the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska. ble project. The decision only a few such cases are
impacts on waters, includ- Associated Press also would prohibit future heard annually.q