Quoteworthy

People who had a way with words in the news in the past week:

"While I understand why Mr. Thornton wants people to stop talking about the fact that he's trying to build homes on top of abandoned underground mine shafts, the First Amendment prevents him from abusing the legal process to silence his critics. Mr. Thornton is about to learn an expensive lesson about the First Amendment, and he should be sanctioned up to his eyeballs."

— Daniel A. Horwitz, an attorney who represents a Marion County man in a legal battle with the developer John "Thunder" Thornton.

"People may have lost their job during the pandemic and still haven't gained full employment. People who have not been able to advance their education for whatever reason as a result of what happened during the pandemic, not only financially but socially and emotionally for people — those aftereffects, we're still seeing them."

— Debra House, executive director of Legal Aid for East Tennessee, on the struggles some people are experiencing with housing post pandemic.

"This child abuser will have plenty of time to clean his room in the Department of Corrections."

— Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller, in a statement, on Dillan Michael Tennant, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for first-degree cruelty two toddlers. Tennant was upset with the children because they made a mess in their bedroom.

"I know we see it, you turn on the news every day, but you still don't expect to be right there, in the midst of it."

— Melissa Maples on a shooting outside of Champy's in downtown Chattanooga.

"It takes us a step closer to removing barriers for formerly incarcerated Tennesseans who are seeking free and fair access to the ballot box. We must do all that we can — and we urge the courts and the state Election Division to do all they can — to guard against democratic backsliding and ensure that all Tennesseans have voter protections."

— Gloria Sweet-Love, president of the Tennessee NAACP, in a news release, on a federal judge's ruling that the state needs to update its forms and process for voting rights restoration.

"If you increase wages and benefits, it has got to help the entire community. Whether it's gas stations, restaurants, it's got to help everybody."

— Art Wheaton, the director of labor studies at Cornell University, on the expected pay increase for Volkswagen Chattanooga employees via upcoming negotiations with the United Auto Workers.

"The power plant rules are real and final, and utilities and regulators need to treat them as such."

— Chris Carnevale, climate advocacy director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, on the Environmental Protection Agency's new pollution limits on fossil fuel plants.

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