There are 55 article(s) tagged Brent Taylor:
A new law bars judicial commissioners from using an ability-to-pay calculator when setting initial bail, but it does not prevent the consideration of defendants’ financial conditions. Critics say the law is confusing and ultimately unconstitutional.
County elections administrator Linda Phillips said in a release that all petitioners should be aware of pending legislation that could remove Melissa Boyd’s former seat, making any petitions null and void.
“The state has not merely encouraged white flight, the state has enabled it. The state has not merely supported white flight, the state built the airport, and the runway surrounds the city.”
But there are still some lingering concerns about the proposal, which would make the proposed University Schools district the 10th public school operator in Shelby County.
State Rep. G.A. Hardaway has introduced a bill proposing a feasibility study for a state-operated crime lab in Shelby County. But he and other state leaders have indicated the state will likely not fund the lab.
Two state senators, both from the Memphis area and both members of Tennessee’s Senate Judiciary Committee, agree on many aspects of the city’s crime problem even though they see different paths for solving it.
The bill seeks transparency from progressive criminal-justice reform groups like the Vera Institute of Justice, Justice Innovation Lab and Memphis-based Just City, which local Republican lawmakers blame in part for crime in Memphis.
Sen. Brent Taylor is exploring concepts and asking questions about separating the Shelby County suburbs and Memphis into different judicial districts.
Some of the more than 20 bills Taylor filed take aim at Shelby County’s current bail practices and a recent Memphis City Council ordinance that banned pretextual traffic stops by Memphis Police Department officers.
If the state attorney general says Gov. Bill Lee has the power to temporarily assign judges from around Tennessee to handle criminal cases in Shelby County, Taylor will request he do so “immediately.”
A trio of elected Republican state leaders highlighted their accomplishments in Nashville and the benefits for their constituents in Shelby County’ suburbs.
This roundup looks at the latest report on voter registration, checks in with Election Commission officials ahead of Friday’s opening of early voting in Memphis and replays the Republican debate that ended with no school-board primaries.
State Senator Brent Taylor says he plans to change the state law on bail conditions. But on “Behind The Headlines” with Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo, Taylor said don’t look for major changes in gun laws in an August special session of the Legislature.
State Senator Brent Taylor discusses increasing penalties for certain violent crimes and proposed legislation that seeks to stem the rise in juvenile crime.
The bill requires trial court and general sessions court judges to set bail for certain violent felonies.
Supporters, critics differ on merits of proposed legislation.
Incumbent candidates for every state legislative seat in Shelby County won reelection, and no open seats flipped from one political party to the other. Former Rep. Barbara Cooper won despite her death last month.
“Brent’s experiences have equipped him to make a positive impact in the state Senate. He will be the voice in the Tennessee legislature desperately needed for Shelby County.”
“With all that cash and goodwill going for him, Taylor could easily take the high road, the 100% positive road, to a smooth Election Day victory.”
“I’m fully aware of the arguments against voting. It’s a waste of time. It won’t change anything. No time to vote. Can’t trust any of them. My candidate won’t win anyway. But our lives are affected by the people we vote into office.”
Republican Brent Taylor says he wants to focus on crime and business, rather than culture wars. Ruby Powell-Dennis wants to flip the seat for the Democrats with a message of ending racial and economic injustice.
Tennessee passed a law similar to “truth in sentencing” in 1979. The law led to overcrowded prisons, rioting and millions in damage to state property. The National Guard was called in. The result was a federal consent decree and sentencing reform. Will history repeat itself?
Many of the proposed bills would increase penalties for rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes and require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to test rape kits faster.
The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast takes a closer look at the numbers in the certified vote totals from August, previews the nearly complete November ballot and features a few political notes.
Democrats have raised more money, but GOP candidates are spending faster and have more cash on hand. That’s due in large part to Brent Taylor’s largely self-financed state Senate campaign.