Page 39 - State Constitutions News Today

David were making about sort of what this means about the power of the presidency, you know, when we actually do get down to the substance, i think thats one of the things we will hear is that the framers were actually concerned about an executive that would be too powerful. >> also, at the same time, having an executive who is powerful enough and fought having a congress that was too powerful, it is about this balance. and one of the things the framers debated at the beginning was included now ...

Challenged the district in here tried this r very same thing in the u.s. support and in june, they said you know what, federal courts arent confidence enough to decide how much politics is too much so r forpartisan i gerrymandering claims because you can make claims under state constitutions that you cant under the federal ones. at you ct under the federal ones

The supreme court says we cant touch them. partisan gerrymandering doesnt violate the constitution or its not a matter for us to look into. >> yes. >> and now there might be a suit on the congressional maps which would have huge implications. >> exactly. there could be another lawsuit about this district and the other congressional districts in north carolina coming soon. >> so they run this election. that i have to throw out the election. they have to call a new one. theyre now having a special...

Parts of state constitutions to figure out what losses they could file next based on this north carolina decision. >> just to keep peoples eyes on the prize here, this is the power, this is the power to control the government or not, right? these lines end up being the lever by which partisan power is wielded, and sometimes counter majoritarian power. its a means by which you can create a situation by which your party has less votes in the state and you still run the state. >> that happened in n...

Constitutional barrier and the national review has even said if states and the congress were to pass the background checks, the supreme court would and should uphold them. its important to read the constitution and text. i want all listeners to go to the interactive constitution of the national constitution center and see what liberal and conservative scholars have to say about the second amendment and see how they derived it in the early state constitutions to make up your mind what it means bu...

>> its so true, brian. it so important to stress that for a lot of people, the second amendment is just as important as the first. its a way of protecting liberty and are horrified by this violence. the unifying message of this is this is a policy debate. its great that people are now thinking about background checks and both sides are endorsing that but ultimately not a constitutional barrier and the national review has even said if states and the congress were to pass the background checks, th...

Eighth amendment was ratified so whatever cruel and unusual punishment is does not include the death penalty. some crimes were so heinous, some crimes are so heinous that death penalty is just and appropriate. shannon: the attorney general said the justice department upholds rule of law, we owe it to their victims to carry forward the sentence imposed by the justice system. this goes to congress. they pass the laws, they elected them to change it and lawmakers dont want it available. >> this has...

Advocacy groups and womens groups and people who have worried about this for a long time are starting to put their post-roe plans in action. >> well, absolutely. we have to be looking ahead. as were looking to the court and asking it to follow settled law as they all said in their confirmation hearings were looking what would happen if roe fell. the center for reproductive rights for 15 years has been documenting what would happen. we were concerned about it in the bush administration and weve b...

Well also be looking to federal legislation. the womens health protection act will be reintroduced in a couple weeks. we will look for everything because women in the united states are not going back. >> yeah. and these -- there are 22 states right now fully republican controlled in terms of legislatures and governors. and silk the 22 that youre talking about, but that issue about state constitutions is going to become really important really fast. nancy northup, president and ceo of the center ...

States as many as half the states would either ban abortion or so severely restrict it would be hugely difficult for women in those states. we have to look beyond that we have to remember we have state constitutions. and weve been getting amazing rulings including one out of kansas which now protects the right to abortion more strongly under the kansas constitution than the u.s. supreme court. well also be looking to federal legislation. the womens health protection act will be reintroduced in a...