美国国家公共电台 NPR--Tenn. GOP efforts to remove 2 lawmakers may have lasting effects on state politics

Tenn. GOP efforts to remove 2 lawmakers may have lasting¹ effects on state politics

Transcript²

It look less than a week for Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson to be reappointed to the Tennessee House, but the GOP efforts to remove them may have a lasting effect on the state's politics.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In this country, both of the Democratic Party lawmakers expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives will be back in the state Capitol in Nashville today. Justin J. Pearson received enough votes to be reinstated yesterday by Shelby County, which he represents and which includes Memphis.

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JUSTIN J PEARSON: Nashville thought they could silence democracy. But they didn't know the Shelby County Commission was filled with some courageous³ leaders.

INSKEEP: Let's talk about this now with Chas Sisk, senior editor at WPLN in Nashville. Good morning.

CHAS SISK, BYLINE⁴: Good morning.

INSKEEP: OK. So talk me through this. It's a Republican-dominated Legislature. The two Democrats⁵ who were voted out got sent right back by - in effect, by their constituents⁶, by the local governments that they - in areas that they represent. What's the situation now in the Legislature?

SISK: Well, you know, Democrats definitely have gotten a little bit of a boost from all of this. And I think in terms of legislation, what that's going to translate into is some serious consideration for a red flag law in Tennessee, which we lack here. And, you know, it's not just because Democrats have a lot more energy behind them. There are a lot of Republican voters in Tennessee that support red flag laws and have for a while, but there just hasn't been any political will at the Capitol to take on the gun lobby. And, you know, what really has changed all that is the Covenant⁷ School shooting a little over two weeks ago. You have people marching to the Capitol just about every day now and not just Democrats. You know, that's really what this expulsion was all about, those demonstrations⁹.

And you should also keep in mind that this was a school that has ties to a lot of people in the Tennessee Republican Party. Governor Bill Lee's wife was a friend of one of the teachers who was killed there, for instance.

INSKEEP: Chas, I feel that you're telling me that this protest that got them expelled - and now they're back again - may have worked or at least had some effect. You're saying that the shooting, the protests that have followed the shooting, may have given some momentum¹⁰ for a red flag law that wouldn't happen otherwise. Is that what you're saying?

SISK: Yeah. I think that's what I'm saying. Between the - those - the backlash to these protests - to the expulsion and everything like that, I think it all adds up to a bit more momentum for some legislative¹¹ change.

INSKEEP: Let's talk about the Tennessee Legislature, which maybe is representative of the country in a way, Republican dominated. But is it divided in a partisan¹² way the rest of the country is?

SISK: Yeah. I mean, and that's been happening more and more in recent years, the division in the Legislature. There's a lot of frustration¹³ among the Democrats about how the Tennessee House has been run, particularly the cutting off of debate, and that's been building over the last several years. And what you've seen on the floor is that when Democrats do actually get the mic, that they tended to be a lot louder. You know, I'm not surprised that these two lawmakers were ones that were in the Republican crosshairs, and there was such a backlash to the demonstration⁸ on the floor a couple of weeks - or a week or so ago.

You know, Justin Jones, I started covering him about a decade or so ago when he was a college freshman¹⁴ protesting at the Capitol. Republicans really have not much liked him for a while. You know, Justin J. Pearson, he's a bit newer to the scene, but there - he's been met with a lot of hostility¹⁵ since he came up there this year. You know, they're two of the most vocal¹⁶ Democrats in the Tennessee House, and, you know, that makes them two of the most prominent Democrats in the state of Tennessee.

INSKEEP: You give me the impression that perhaps they were expelled not just for what they did the other day but for the fact that they have a long record that Republicans don't like and are frustrated¹⁷ with. Is that right?

SISK: Yeah. I think that's right. And, you know, I think that's a lot to do with the way Tennessee is structured. You know, the Legislature is one of the few state offices where the voters really have a say. The governor's office is really the only one in which it's directly elected. So, you know, these are some pretty prominent voices in Tennessee as a result of what's been happening here at the Capitol.

INSKEEP: Chas Sisk, really appreciate the analysis. Thanks so much.

SISK: Yeah, my pleasure.

INSKEEP: He's senior editor at WPLN in Nashville.

(SOUNDBITE OF FROM MONUMENT TO MASSES' "A SIXTH TRUMPET")

1 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

2 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。

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 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。

5 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》

6 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 covenant   

n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约

参考例句：

• They refused to covenant with my father for the property.他们不愿与我父亲订立财产契约。
• The money was given to us by deed of covenant.这笔钱是根据契约书付给我们的。

8 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 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。

12 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。

13 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

14 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

15 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

16 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

17 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》