Death Row Spiritual Advisor Sues
The spiritual advisor for several of Oklahoma’s death row inmates filed a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections last Friday.
Rev. Jeff Hood is seeking $10 million from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for allegedly defaming him in a press release in January.
The DOC released a statement prior to the execution of Scott Eizember, who Hood was a spiritual advisor for, saying Hood would not be allowed in the execution chamber due to his history of arrests for “outbursts” in the past. The statement also said Hood has demonstrated “blatant disregard” for the families of death row inmates’ victims.
They later reversed the decision to avoid a postponement from any legal challenges.
Hood says while he has been arrested three separate times at protests across the country, he has never disrupted an execution and has never been disrespectful to victims’ families.
Economic Development Subcomittee
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat is calling on a newly formed select committee to improve Oklahoma's economic development efforts.
The move comes after a trio of high profile competitions for high tech manufacturers where the state ultimately lost out.
Treat says he recognizes competition for these types of projects will be stiff.
"But I do want to see what we can do to put ourselves in a better position to attract the type of investment we're looking for and to land those investments ultimately," said Treat.
Most recently Volkswagen chose Ontario, Canada instead of Oklahoma for its new electric vehicle battery plant.
The state had offered the German automaker roughly $700 million dollars in tax incentives to build in Pryor.
Water Event at State Capitol
The Oklahoma State Capitol is hosting its annual Water Appreciation Day on Thursday.
Water appreciators can visit the Capitol’s second-floor rotunda from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to talk with water experts from across Oklahoma.
Last year’s event featured water-centric non-profits and research groups, alongside state, federal and tribal agencies that play a role in water quality and availability.
Oklahoma has been hosting an annual Water Appreciation Day for nearly two decades.
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board, which coordinates the event, says it’s meant to celebrate the importance of Oklahoma’s water resources and provide information on management and conservation to anyone who wants it.
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