Top 10 Quotes of the Week

1) Quote of the Year: "I was just nominated for best activist in the city – of course, I lost to Austin Pets Alive!, because we care more about pets in this city than we care about people that are affected by issues like [police brutality]."

– Austin Justice Coalition's Chas Moore (Nov. 10)

2) "Our experts include a rocket scientist and a number of Ph.D.s, yet we are having trouble quickly making heads or tails of the new code and map."

– Fred Lewis, upon postponing a Community Not Commodity press conference devoted to analyzing CodeNEXT draft 2.0 (Sept. 22)

3) "That a woman may make the decision to have an abortion before a fetus may survive outside her womb is solely and exclusively the woman's decision. The power to make this decision is her right."

– U.S. Federal Judge Lee Yeakel, in striking down Texas' ban on D&E abortions (Dec. 1)

4) "Jailers and immigration agents do not determine probable cause to detain a person. Only a judge can make that determination. It's called a warrant."

– Travis Co. Judge Sarah Eckhardt, in reply to Gov. Greg Abbott's threat to deny the county grant funding because Sheriff Sally Her­nan­dez wouldn't comply with U.S. Immi­gra­tions and Cus­toms Enforcement detainer requests (Jan. 27

5) "Most kids just want a haircut, new clothes, a new name, and a different pronoun."

– Colt Keo-Meier, a clinical psychologist at the University of Houston Transgender Health Lab, referring to the needs of trans kids during his invited witness testimony against SB 6 (March 17)

6) "I really don't feel like we need to perpetuate this systemic institutional racism of the past. I think that we can set a better tone."

– Planning Commissioner Trinity White, just before commissioners voted against staff recommendations for a rezoning of the Montopolis Negro School (Sept. 15)

7) "Joy."

– Dan Keller, when asked his reaction to the news that he and wife Fran had been declared "actually innocent" by Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore of the alleged crimes they were convicted of in 1992, and for which they spent 21 years in prison (June 23)

8) "The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government."

– FBI Director James Comey, before the House Intelligence Committee (March 24)

9) "If I'm relying on the state, I'm relying on a kick in the teeth."

– Ken Zarifis, president of AISD employee union Education Austin, casting gloom on any hopes of meaningful public school finance reform this session (May 26)

10) "I understand it's tradition for the District 6 member to interrupt the proceedings."

– Jimmy Flannigan at his inauguration ceremony to City Council, jabbing at his D6 predecessor Don Zimmerman's propensity for getting in the way (Jan. 13)