State Senator Brent Taylor discusses increasing penalties for certain violent crimes and proposed legislation that seeks to stem the rise in juvenile crime.

“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, and above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

“Memphis should be led by someone who actually lives here, is committed to the city, and has demonstrated that commitment throughout their career.”

Celebrate Earth Day by spending some time observing a single creature — what it looks like, how it moves, how it interacts with other plants or creatures in its habitat, and whether it makes any distinctive sounds.

“When there’s a medical breakthrough, you’re not going to hear about it first through an ad or sales pitch.”

“Having FedEx’s influence in Memphis the past 50 years — from the high-profile items like FedExForum and the Grizzlies to actions that fly under the larger radar like all the FedEx Cares events in Memphis — has been incalculable in making our city as amazing as we all enjoy it to be.”

“These three leaders effectively tapped into the political will of a demographic that had been held down, abused and ignored year after year. A megaphone was all that was needed to shatter Speaker Cameron Sexton’s fragile ego and trigger a political earthquake.”

“We strongly urge the MSCS board and the next superintendent to continue making early literacy a top priority for our community.”

In an op-ed, Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Bill Haslam, who served as governors successively from 2003 to 2019, offered some specifics around “small step” gun restrictions as starting points.

“We must break down the system silos, invest strategically in communities, and hold ourselves across public and private interests accountable for results.”

“Because of the sanitation workers’ strike and the tragic killing of Martin Luther King Jr. 55 years ago, Memphis has become a welcoming place for refugees and people fleeing unimaginable horrors back home.”

“When teachers, sanitation workers and municipal employees must take time off work to drive across the state to receive care for sick children, we will all feel the consequences.”

“We can’t solve the poverty and cultural issues that plague our community in the short or even medium term. But we can build more prisons, with an emphasis on reform.”

“Community members shouldn’t have to wait years for relief. Instead of making excuses and dodging questions, the Shelby County Health Department needs to act now to make the facility reduce its emissions or — if it continues to refuse — shut down completely.”

“I’ll admit that the Easter bunny is cute and tons of fun – he swings by our house every year. The eggs are nice. The flowers are a delight. In their own ways, they all point to new life. But there is nothing that compares with celebrating what it means for humanity that Jesus walked out of that tomb.”

“Memphis — tough, strong, seasoned Memphis — this is our chance to be soft. This is our chance to love our sister city — to be the ones who understand. This is our chance to be with.”

“The sound of Rolling Fork was the sharp drone of chainsaws as volunteers with equipment went house-to-house, cutting and dragging debris out to where it could be picked up.”

“I believe that the truth is to be found, and we can find it the same way that King was looking for it on the night of April 4, 1968.”

“As bad as it was last Saturday morning, it’s bound to get worse for my hometown. Nothing is working the way it should ... And it was already a town in the vice grip of extreme poverty.”

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“Would that Memphis and its surrounding communities realize King’s dream and be a compelling model for the nation.”