Lawmakers Push For Clemency For Death Row Inmate
The clemency application for a death row inmate set to be executed next month includes new evidence that supports his claim he acted in self-defense.
Republican Reps. Kevin McDugle and Justin Humphrey held a press conference on Thursday to discuss new evidence in the case of death row inmate Phillip Hancock, who was convicted of killing Robert Jett and James Lynch in 2001. Hancock has always maintained he killed the two men in self-defense after they lured him into Jett’s home and attacked him.
New evidence includes a sworn declaration from Hancock’s ex-girlfriend, Kathy Quick, saying she hired Jett and Lynch to attack Hancock and information about a cage in the house the two men tried to force Hancock inside.
McDugle said this case should not have been tried as a capital case at all.
"If any of you walk into a house that you're lured to. And you're attacked. And you wrestle a gun away from the assailant that attacked you and you shoot them. In today's courts, there's no way that you would be sentenced to death. In fact, there's no way you'd even be put in jail, much less for 20 years," McDugle said.
McDugle and Humphrey, along with former Pardon and Parole Board member Adam Luck, are asking for the Board to recommend clemency for Hancock and for Gov. Kevin Stitt to commute his sentence.
Hancock is scheduled to be executed on Nov. 30.
Oklahoma Lawmakers Review Possible Bans On College Diversity, Inclusion Programs
Oklahoma lawmakers and the state’s governor continue their push to de-fund diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the state’s universities.
But as Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett says, such a move would have consequences. That’s largely because having what are known as DEI programs, helps universities stay accredited by various bodies.
"If you have attended an unaccredited institution, you are likely to have some challenges in getting professional licensure, becoming employed, or maybe even going on to graduate school," Garrett said.
Norman Senator Rob Standridge introduced a bill to defund DEI programs last session. He says he’ll bring up more efforts to eliminate DEI at colleges in the future.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State Launches Investigation Into PragerU
A national advocacy organization is turning its sights to Oklahoma’s partnership with conservative media nonprofit PragerU.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced Thursday it’s launching an investigation into how Florida and Oklahoma plan to implement PragerU materials in public schools.
This is the second major action AU has taken regarding Oklahoma education issues — it’s also the driving force behind a lawsuit filed against St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School, which would be the nation’s first publicly funded religious school and is currently moving its way through Oklahoma’s approval process.
Last month, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced an ongoing partnership with PragerU Kids — its video links populate the state department’s social studies curriculum page, and Walters says the department is collaborating to create Oklahoma-specific curricula.
AU president and CEO Rachel Laser says in a press release, “We owe it to our children to ensure their public schools provide a high-quality education that is free from religious coercion and rooted in facts, not theology or political ideology.”
Tulsa Musician Dwight Twilley Dies At 72
Dwight Twilley, a Tulsa musician who scored top 20 hits with songs like "I'm on Fire" and "Girls," has died at the age of 72.
The Tulsa World reports Dwight Twilley was driving alone last weekend when he had a stroke and crashed his car into a tree. He died four days later at a hospital.
Dwight Twilley Band’s debut single “I’m On Fire” became a top 20 Billboard hit in 1975 and landed them on American Bandstand, but label and distribution issues dealt big blows to the band’s success and eventually led to its demise.
Twilley sang backing vocals on early Tom Petty songs “Breakdown” and “American Girl” and Petty returned the favor in 1984 on Twilley’s top 20 hit “Girls.”
One of MTV’s original VJs, Martha Quinn, said Twilley was “part of the first wave of artists who put MTV on the map.”
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