Ahead of Abortion Vote, Ohioans Weigh Making It Harder to Amend Constitution

• Ordinary legislation governs people, but a constitution governs government itself. It’s the most important expression of the people’s will. Currently, 18 states allow what are called initiated constitutional amendments, that is, proposed amendments initiated by the people and placed on the ballot. 
• Most of those require a simple majority, and a few (e.g., Florida and Illinois) require 60%. 
• A simple majority was fine when state constitutions were used for normal purposes—the structure and powers of government. 
• But measures like Proposal 3 in Michigan last year and the similar measure on the ballot this November in Ohio take a radical turn, using state constitutions to impose policies that the legislature will not pass. 
• For reasons like these, raising the threshold for amending a state constitution is a legitimate protection for the constitution itself and what it should legitimately be used for.

Schedule an Interview: Thomas Jipping and Sarah Parshall Perry

House Conservatives Demand Reforms at DHS and DOJ

• Texas Congressman Chip Roy says he will not approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security or Justice Department unless “changes” are made. 
• Congress has a deadline of Sept. 30—the end of fiscal year 2023—to pass appropriations bills to fund government agencies, departments, and programs for the next year.
• “I want the border secure,” Roy said. “I want DOJ restored to following the rule of law, and we should use the power of the purse as James Madison wrote in Federalist 58—it’s the most powerful weapon against an over-tyrannical executive branch that we see unfold right now before our eyes.”

Schedule an Interview: Steve Bradbury and Lora Ries

Gold Star Families of Service Members Lost in Kabul Airport Attack Share Testimony, Demand Answers

• Gold Star Families of some of the 13 service members who were killed in the attack at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan in 2021 gathered for a Congressional forum in California on Monday.
• The families shared testimony and demanded answers from President Joe Biden and his administration concerning the deaths of their loved ones, with many saying they feel disrespected, hurt, and angry.
• By nearly all accounts, the withdrawal from Afghanistan was ill-conceived from the start, rushed in its execution, and uncoordinated with international partners.
• Transparency and honesty are essential if future American policymakers are to learn from these mistakes in order to avoid repeating them in the future.

Schedule an Interview: Victoria Coates and James Carafano