美国国家公共电台 NPR--The first post-Roe vote on abortion rights will be held in Kansas on Aug. 2

The first post-Roe¹ vote on abortion² rights will be held in Kansas on Aug. 2

Transcript³

A proposed state constitutional amendment⁴ would end abortion rights protections that have made Kansas a destination for people seeking abortions⁵ from nearby states.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The first post-Roe vote on abortion rights will happen in Kansas. The state Constitution there currently protects the right to abortion. Next month, voters will decide whether they want that to change. Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports.

FRANK MORRIS, BYLINE⁶: It's a warm summer morning in Lawrence, Kan., and political volunteers are lining⁷ up for assignments.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Can I take this sign to my car now?

SHARON BRETT: Absolutely. And I'll stick this right here for you.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: OK. Perfect. I'll be right back then.

BRETT: Hi.

FRANK BARTELL: I'm Frank Bartell.

MORRIS: Sharon Brett is here volunteering for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom.

BRETT: People are really energized⁸ right now, and they're mad. They're angry, and they want to fight.

MORRIS: The fight here is over the so-called Value Them Both Amendment, which would end state constitutional protection for abortion.

BRETT: That's right. Kansas is a place where, right now, the right to an abortion is protected by our state Constitution. The same can't be said in a number of other states that surround us.

MORRIS: When the Supreme⁹ Court overturned Roe v. Wade¹⁰ last month, neighboring states Missouri and Oklahoma immediately banned abortion. That sparked new urgency here in Kansas to preserve a state constitutional right to abortion.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOORBELL RINGING)

GINA SPADE: Oh, it's not.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Hi.

SPADE: Oh, hello.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: How you doing?

SPADE: Good. How are you?

MORRIS: Gina Spade and her daughter are walking a neighborhood in Lawrence, campaigning against the proposed amendment that would end protection for abortion rights.

SPADE: With that backstop of Roe, this amendment wouldn't have been as important as it is. And now this is the only thing to keep us from being Missouri or Oklahoma.

MORRIS: But University of Kansas political science professor Patrick Miller¹¹ says abortion rights proponents¹² are playing catch-up.

PATRICK MILLER: Not trying to be mean, but I think the public campaign of abortion rights supporters was pathetic to nonexistent until around the time that the leak happened at the Supreme Court.

MORRIS: The leak disclosing the decision overturning Roe not three months ago. Abortion opponents, on the other hand, have been gearing up for this fight for years.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SUSAN HUMPHRIES: Thank you so much for joining us today. We are...

MORRIS: The Value Them Both Coalition¹³, a group supporting the amendment overturning the constitutional right to abortion, convened¹⁴ a roundtable recently where State Representative Susan Humphries countered what she calls falsehoods promoted by opponents of the amendment.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

HUMPHRIES: I'm trying to make it clear that we are not banning abortion. That's not what we're talking about. And so we've got to fight that misinformation.

MORRIS: Humphries says the amendment would simply empower state legislators to make new abortion laws and to defend existing regulations. Danielle Underwood with the Value Them Both Coalition says the current interpretation¹⁵ of the Kansas Constitution not only forbids banning abortion, she says it threatens to nullify any state abortion regulations.

DANIELLE UNDERWOOD: All of our existing laws are presumed unconstitutional. They would have to be held up to what's called strict scrutiny¹⁶. And that is an almost-impossible bar to meet for the state to defend any existing law.

MORRIS: It hasn't exactly worked out that way. Kansas still bans abortion after 22 weeks, imposes a waiting period and requires that abortion medication be provided in person, among other restrictions¹⁷. Kansas University law professor Stephen McAllister, a former clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas and a U.S. attorney for Kansas under President Trump¹⁸, says the Kansas Constitution does make it hard to defend abortion restrictions but not impossible. McAllister says proponents of the amendment have bigger plans.

STEPHEN MCALLISTER: This is about, basically, give the Republican Party in control of the legislature the ability to ban abortion. That's the bottom line. There will be bills to ban abortion right out of the gate.

MORRIS: Sixty percent of Kansans polled this year oppose a complete ban on abortion. But those trying to defeat the amendment that could pave the way for a ban face a steep uphill fight just getting their voters to turn out for an August primary. Still, what had, until recently, seemed like a near-automatic win for abortion opponents has turned into a real fight, one that could result in a voter-endorsed constitutional right to abortion in Kansas.

For NPR News, I'm Frank Morris.

(SOUNDBITE OF NEIL COWLEY TRIO'S "MISSION")

1 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

8 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

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 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

11 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

12 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

15 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

16 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

17 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

18 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。