Sen. Raumesh Akbari: Evil will not overshadow the good in ‘our Memphis’

MEMPHIS — Tennessee Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, issued a statement today in response to a mass shooting committed by a 19-year-old who left four people dead and three others injured. Sen. Lamar’s full statement: The book of Psalms says “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.” This morning…

Rep. Gloria Johnson, Sen. Heidi Campbell have pursued a caseload cap to improve services to children, worker retention — NASHVILLE — Testimony from a longtime juvenile judge describing the state Department of Children’s Services as “near collapse” is prompting lawmakers to renew their call for caseworker reform. Addressing a committee studying juvenile justice on Aug. 31, Knox County Juvenile Judge Tim Irwin said, “We don’t have enough DCS employees…

Rep. John Ray Clemmons, Sen. Jeff Yarbro to unveil highway sign naming bridge after Quinn who died this year from brain cancer — NASHVILLE — A bridge will be renamed Tuesday in a ceremony to celebrate the life of Tallu Schuler Quinn, the founder of the Nashville Food Project who died earlier this year from brain cancer. Rep. John Ray Clemmons and Sen. Jeff Yarbro sponsored legislation to designate the bridge on state…

Public forum includes Rep. Karen Camper, Rep. Barbara Cooper and Rep. Torrey Harris — MEMPHIS — Tennessee Sen. Raumesh Akbari will feature public education issues at a community town hall on Wednesday in Whitehaven. Sen. Akbari is looking for feedback from community members about education and other issues impacting the community. The town hall is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Whitehaven Center at…

Alternate bills would establish clear, legal exceptions for abortion in cases of rape, incest or sex trafficking — NASHVILLE — In response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, state Democratic lawmakers announced they would introduce legislation to restore access to reproductive healthcare in Tennessee. Watch the full press conference here Democrats say, their first legislative attempt will be to codify privacy and health protections…

President Biden’s American Rescue Plan funding ‘worked,’ Memphis senator says MEMPHIS — Tennessee Sen. Raumesh Akbari issued a statement congratulating students and educators at Memphis-Shelby County Schools for their achievement on the spring TCAP test. Her full statement: “Our students and teachers have emerged from the challenges of the pandemic with an incredible academic performance. “This doesn’t happen by accident! Memphis-Shelby County Schools are trending up because we have tireless and dedicated educators, support staff and district leadership.

Memphis senator says decision overruling Roe will worsen maternal outcomes — MEMPHIS — Reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court’s “unprecedented” decision to overrule constitutional rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade, Tennessee Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, vows to keep working toward reproductive justice and equality. Her full statement: As a woman who has lost a child during pregnancy, I know that every…

MEMPHIS — Tennessee Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, condemned the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade in a statement Friday: The Supreme Court just reset the clock on women’s constitutional rights to 1972. …

‘51 Years Behind Bars’ premiered this week — Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis), a champion for juvenile sentencing reform, is featured in a documentary premiering this week that explores the lengthy sentences handed down to juvenile offenders in Tennessee, which has the longest mandatory prison time for juveniles convicted of murder of any state in the nation. For years…