密歇根新闻广播 州委员会将讨论重新划分选区的投票问题

The proposal to change how Michigan draws the lines for congressional and legislative¹ districts is about to go on the ballot². But, will it stay there?

The question to create an independent commission to handle the job of redistricting is poised³ to become Proposal 2 on the November ballot. The group that gives the OK to what questions make it on the ballot meets Wednesday.

The Board of State Canvassers is made up of two Republicans and two Democrats⁴. The Michigan Court of Appeals ordered the elections board to put the question on the ballot. And the Michigan Supreme⁵ Court has refused a request by the group battling the proposal to stop that from happening.

Because while the Supreme Court dealt foes⁶ of the proposal a setback⁷, it could still step in. A decision on whether to take the case, and possibly reverse the lower court and keep it off the ballot, is still pending⁸.

David Doyle is with People Protecting Michigan’s Constitution, the group fighting the ballot question. He says his group does not consider theirs a lost cause. Not yet, at least. “We’ve had cases in the past where issues have been put on the ballot by the Board of State Canvassers and the Michigan Supreme Court has taken them off,” Doyle told It’s Just Politics. (Although you have to go back to the early 2000s to find the last time that’s happened.)

So, there’s a couple things to look for in regards to what happens next. First, whether the Supreme Court agrees to take the case and schedules arguments. Alternatively, the court might refuse to take the case and let the appeals court decision stand. That’s a distinct possibility, since the justices turned down their first, early chance to second-guess the lower court.

Over the past three decades Republicans have largely succeeded in running their agendas through the state Legislature, and protecting their wins with a philosophically⁹ aligned¹⁰ judiciary.

If the court does take the case in the coming weeks, that opens a big box of political complications because the court is elected.

Supreme Court elections appear on the non-partisan¹¹ section of the ballot. But the reality is they are partisan positions. Candidates for state Supreme Court justice are nominated by partisan delegates to state party conventions.

Two Republican justices currently serving want to get nominated this summer at a state GOP convention and if they win in November, Republicans keep control of the Supreme Court. If they both lose, Democrats will be in charge.

Over the past three decades Republicans have largely succeeded in running their agendas through the state Legislature, and protecting their wins with a philosophically aligned judiciary.

So, what’s at stake here is power. And the ability of Republicans in the Legislature and their allies to protect hard-fought victories like the right-to-work law, for example, from legal challenges.

With so much at stake, redistricting is the most political question courts deal with. Judges and justices hate for their decisions to become political issues. But, in this case, they may not have a choice.

1 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。

2 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。

3 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

4 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》

5 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。

6 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

7 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

8 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

9 philosophically   

adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地

参考例句：

• He added philosophically that one should adapt oneself to the changed conditions. 他富于哲理地补充说，一个人应该适应变化了的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Harry took his rejection philosophically. 哈里达观地看待自己被拒的事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。