美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ohio Republicans OK plan to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments

Ohio Republicans OK plan to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments³

Transcript⁴

With an abortion⁵ rights amendment² possibly going before Ohio voters in November, Republican lawmakers push ahead with a plan to make it harder to amend¹ the state's constitution.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Republicans in Ohio have approved a plan to try to make it harder to amend the state constitution. This decision prompted protests in the Statehouse.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) No on one. No on one. No on one.

INSKEEP: They're chanting no on one, which is the number of the measure. The audio is from WEWS News 5 in Cleveland. The Legislature does not get the final say here. Their vote sends the question to voters in Ohio in August. Karen Kasler of the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau, which is a public media organization in Columbus, joins us. Good morning.

KAREN KASLER: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: What exactly is being put to the voters in August?

KASLER: Well, in Ohio, constitutional amendments can be proposed by state lawmakers or by citizens or groups, but they always have to be approved by voters. So this is a resolution from Republican state lawmakers, who are in the supermajority, that would ask voters to increase the threshold to pass an amendment from a simple majority to 60%, but for future constitutional amendments, not for this one. Now, right now two states require a 60% threshold for all amendments - Florida and Illinois.

INSKEEP: OK, so I'm just thinking this through. Lawmakers will put the question to voters in August, which is not a time that's traditionally associated with elections. So maybe they're hoping for low turnout. They put this question to voters, and if a simple majority of the people who happen to show up approve it, it then becomes much harder for voters to approve future changes in the Constitution. Why on Earth would they do this now?

KASLER: Well, Republicans have been saying since last fall that they want to protect Ohio's Constitution from what they call big money out-of-state special interests. But one of the sponsors said in a memo⁶ to his fellow Republicans that this is about stopping likely amendments on abortion and gerrymandering. Last year, Ohio's congressional and legislative⁷ maps were drawn⁸ by lawmakers, and they were ruled unconstitutionally gerrymandered by the Ohio Supreme⁹ Court. So Ohio has a six-week abortion ban. That's on hold by the court. And after the Dobbs decision here, abortion rights groups have been in the process of gathering¹⁰ hundreds of thousands of signatures to put a reproductive rights and abortion access amendment before voters on the general election ballot¹¹ in November.

So Republican lawmakers would like that 60% threshold in place before voters decide on that reproductive rights amendment. But they were unable to pass it for the May primary, so now they're looking at August. And by the way, on that big money special interest note, there's already a lot of money surrounding this resolution and special election in this, and for supporters, nearly all of it is coming from a Republican billionaire from Illinois.

INSKEEP: OK, so a vote on making the Constitution harder to change in August, possible vote in November on putting abortion into the state constitution, and the rules would apply to that. What do opponents say of this Republican measure?

KASLER: Well, there have been two pretty big protests bringing in hundreds of people after weeks of testimony¹² where people came in to testify against this idea. Some of the people are supporters of the resolution and the special election, and those supporters include anti-abortion organizations, evangelical Christian¹³ groups, gun rights advocates and Ohio's restaurants, which are worried about an amendment that would increase the minimum wage. But the crowd yesterday was overwhelmingly against this idea. Demonstrators from some of the hundreds of groups that are opposed were there. Most of those groups are aligned¹⁴ with Democrats¹⁵, but the plan is also opposed by the bipartisan elections officials who would have to conduct the election and also the Libertarian Party, five former state attorneys general from both parties and Ohio's four living ex-governors, two Republicans and two Democrats.

INSKEEP: Is it legal? Could you challenge in court the idea of changing the rules of the game to prevent anything that you don't like?

KASLER: Well, when it comes to Ohio's elections, there's always the possibility of a lawsuit¹⁶. The question now is whether this resolution is trying to change a law that took effect in April. And that's going to be the question, is whether it's legal or not.

INSKEEP: Karen Kasler of the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau in Columbus, thanks so much.

KASLER: Great to talk to you.

1 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

6 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

7 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

8 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

12 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

13 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

14 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

15 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。