Oklahoma’s Thunder falls

wind rocks to Rockets

OKC didn’t find a win
The Sooner State plays at home, losing to
outsized role in developing Houston 122-112.
sustainable energy.
Page 1B
Page 1C

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 REACHING MORE THAN 475,000 PEOPLE EACH DAY NEWSOK.COM • OKLAHOMAN.COM
$1.50

OKC School Board backs

teachers considering strike
BY TIM WILLERT
Staff Writer
twillert@oklahoman.com
The Oklahoma City
School Board and the dis-
trict’s acting superinten-
dent are backing teachers
considering a strike in pro-
test of low pay and inad-
equate school funding.
Acting Superintendent
Rebecca Kaye, speak-
ing Tuesday at Pierce
Elementary School, said
the school board made
a “very bold statement”
the night before by
unanimously approving
a resolution supporting
SEE BOARD, 4A
ONLINE Gubernatorial candidates
Go to Oklahoman.com to watch videos
about the OKC School Board's support
prefer teachers avoid walkout
for a teacher walkout and what
gubernatorial candidates say about it. BY CHRIS CASTEEL say they sympathize
Staff Writer with state teachers but
INSIDE
ccasteel@oklahoman.com most stopped short of
• Union sets date for walkout, Page 4A endorsing a potential
• West Virginia walkout ends, Page 7A Oklahoma guber-
natorial candidates SEE TEACHERS, 4A

BARN BURNER
Church
‘Stand
Your
Ground’
bill OK’d
BY DALE DENWALT
Capitol Bureau
ddenwalt@oklahoman.com

House lawmakers on
Tuesday approved legis-
lation that would expand
civil lawsuit immunity to
Oklahoma churches when
someone uses a gun or
other deadly force in self-
defense.
State law— known as the
“Stand Your Ground Law”
— already shields busi-
nesses and property from
lawsuits stemming from an
accidental injury or death
by someone who was act-
ing in self-defense on that
property. House Bill 2632
adds “place of worship” to
the list.
“This is necessary to
protect the place of wor-
ship from basically being
sued out of existence,” said
state Rep. Greg Babinec,
R-Cushing. “It’s proac-
tive, and I think it’s neces-
sary based on what we’ve
seen in the past.”
Jordan Odell, 16, rakes as she prepares the bedding area for her animals in a barn at State Fair Park on Tuesday. The event culminates next week with Democrats, however,
the Sale of Champions. [PHOTOS BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN] criticized the bill by alleg-
ing that its wording would

Competition will be fierce at Oklahoma Youth Expo
BY JOSH WALLACE
Staff Writer
jwallace@oklahoman.com
In the days and hours lead-
ing up to showtime, students at
the Oklahoma Youth Expo are
friendly with one another.
But when it comes time to
show in the ring, the key word is
"competition."
“It gets way competitive. It’s
a whole other world," said Kaleb
Noyes, 18, of Sentinel. "You go
out there and you can help people
out there … but when we’re in the
ring, we’re two different people.”
Scheduled to run through
March 16 at State Fair Park, the
expo is expected to draw more
than 50,000 people, said Tyler
Norvell, the expo's executive
director. The show has grown so
large in recent years that they’ve
had to add more time just to pre-
pare for the 19,500 head of live-
stock that will be shown, he said.
SEE EXPO, 2A
give the same immunity to
the person responding to
a threat. State Rep. Collin
Walke called it an unin-
tended consequence.
“If you vote for this bill,
you are foreclosing any
possibility of seeking jus-
tice in a court of law for
the death of one of your
loved ones,” said Walke,
D-Oklahoma City. “If you
love guns more than you
love your family, vote for
this bill.”
Achangeaddedtothebill
on the House floor would
allow churches to imple-
ment a policy banning
guns from the premises.
In the bill, a place of wor-
ship means any building,
structure or office space
owned, leased, rented or
borrowed and used for
worship services and reli-
gious activities. Babinec
said that could include
areas outside a church.
State Rep. David Perry-
Larry Peck, left, and Stone Baldonado load a wooden cutout of a goat onto a trailer in front of show barns at man, D-Chickasha, said he
State Fair Park Tuesday afternoon as the Oklahoma Youth Expo gets underway.
SEE GUNS, 4A

TODAY’S PRAYER Business 1C Deaths 7A Weather, 6C CUSTOMER SERVICE Volume 127, 66 | 5 Sections
Classified 1E Opinion 10A Copyright 2018
Heavenly Father, may all chil-
dren know the joy and comfort
Comics
Life
10E
1D
Sports
Stocks
1B
1C
SUNNY Online:
oklahoman.com/account
The Oklahoma Publishing Co.,
Oklahoma City
of Your loving embrace. Amen. H: 54 L: 30 Phone: 405-478-7171 All rights reserved
4A WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018
Union sets date for
possible teacher strike
BY BEN FELDER
Staff Writer
bfelder@oklahoman.com
Oklahoma’s larg-
est teacher union says
“schools will shut down”
if a pay raise for teachers is
not approved by April 23.  The Oklahoma Edu-
“We have to be really
smart and really strate-
gic, and we have to give
the (state) Legislature
time to pass something,”
said David DuVall,
executive director of
the Oklahoma Educa-
tion Association, which
announced the deadline
on Tuesday.  a $10,000 pay raise that
The idea of a statewide
teacher walkout has been
gaining momentum dur-
ing recent weeks through
discussions and pushes
BOARD
CONTINUED FROM 1A
teachers.
“We will support the
voices of our teachers
and we will support our
teachers in what they
need to do to advocate
for themselves at the
Capitol,” Kaye said. “Our
teachers don’t make
enough money to take
care of their families and
something has to change.
“At this point I really
believe our teachers don’t
know what else to do. I
am hopeful that our com-
munity is going to come
TEACHERS
CONTINUED FROM 1A
walkout over pay.
Republican Mick Cornett
said it would not be in the
best interest of students
or the state.
Cornett, currently
mayor of Oklahoma City,
said, “This isn’t in the
state’s best interest, the
strike. And certainly not
in the kids’ best inter-
est. And I guess part of
what my takeaway is: I’d
like to think that I could
have figured out a better
way to get this handled
already.
“I understand they’re
desperate at this point.
But that is not something
I would support. As much
as I support teachers, I
don’t support a strike.”
Cornett was speaking
at the University of Sci-
ence and Arts of Okla-
homa in Chickasha.
Teachers in Oklahoma
City, Tulsa and other
school districts have
been discussing whether
to walk out sometime in
the next few weeks. The
Oklahoma Education
Association announced
Tuesday that, absent a
pay raise, teachers will
walk out on April 23.
on social media.
A Facebook group
called “Oklahoma
Teacher Walkout — The
Time Is Now!” that was
created last week had
more than 40,700 mem-
bers Monday evening.
cation Association
announced that it would
hold a news conference at
1 p.m. Thursday to unveil
“a detailed revenue pack-
age and statewide school
closure strategy.”
DuVall said the OEA is
going to ask the Legisla-
ture to approve at least
could be funded over three
years. The OEA also plans
to ask for increased fund-
ing for school operations.
“We plan to present a
together to take care of
our kids if it comes to the
point that our teachers
feel like they have to walk
out in order to convince
the Legislature to do
the right thing and fund
public education in our
state.”
The resolution offers
“full support of our
teachers and stands ready
to take any steps neces-
sary to improve condi-
tions for our teachers —
including a districtwide
suspension of classes.”
In the resolution, the
board “urges the Okla-
homa State Legislature to
work urgently on behalf
of the children and fami-
I understand they’re desperate at
this point. But that is not something I
would support. As much as I support
teachers, I don’t support a strike.”
Republican Mick Cornett, mayor of
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma Auditor and
Inspector Gary Jones, a
Republican running for
governor, said Tuesday
that a walkout was avoid-
able.
“The law says we
should have an education
budget in place by April
1,” Jones said.
Legislators should find
the money for a pay raise
and make a strike unnec-
essary, he said.
“It’s a critical situa-
tion,” Jones said. “If the
Legislature doesn’t get it
done, that’s another fail-
ure on their part.”
Jones has proposed
raising the gross produc-
tion tax on oil and gas and
the cigarette tax to pro-
vide money for a raise.  torial candidate Drew
Tulsa businessman
Kevin Stitt, a Republican
running for governor,
said Tuesday, “Nobody
wants a walkout, but I
understand their frustra-
tion. Our state govern-
ment has failed our kids,
revenue plan (on Thurs-
day) to fund it,” DuVall
said.  charged with murder
The OEA also plans to
hold an April 2 rally at the
Capitol, although DuVall
said it wouldn’t include
school closures.  bill Monday. Repub-
Some teachers had
been advocating for a
strike earlier than April
23.  that says a person who
DuVall said the date
was selected to give the
Legislature time to pass
its plan, or a version of it
that includes a pay raise.  doesn’t want a vigilante
“Our board of directors
have already authorized
us to take strong action
to fund our schools and
achieve pay raises for
teachers and support
personnel,” DuVall said.
“We are ready to act.”
lies in our state to take
swift and meaningful
action to develop a viable
plan to pay teachers the
professional salaries they
deserve.”
Board member Glo-
ria Torres, who read the
resolution, said there is a
need “for us as a commu-
nity to join in and support
our public schools and
our public school teach-
ers and all of our public
school staff.”
Cleveland Elementary
parent Amber Knapp,
speaking to the board
Monday night before
the resolution was read,
urged members to stand
behind teachers contem-
our teachers and our
schools.
“We have four-day
school weeks and the
lowest paid teachers in
the region. It’s uncon-
scionable that the politi-
cians have gotten us into
this mess. I’m hopeful a
walkout can be avoided
because I want our kids
in their school with their
teachers, and that’s what
teachers want, too.”
The campaign manager
for Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb,
a Republican, declined to
respond to a request for
comment.  legislative session is only
Lamb’s wife teaches
5th grade at Cashion
Public School.
Democratic guberna-
Edmondson, former
Oklahoma attorney gen-
eral, said, “The problems
with education fund-
ing and teacher pay are
well documented. But,
this goes much deeper
than just money. It’s also
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
Crossbow limits bill fails to pass
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS lican Rep. Kevin Wal- ents, to sell or give a
Oklahoma lawmakers
have defeated legisla-
tion to limit children's
lace of Wellston wrote
the bill and says he may
ask House members to
reconsider.
child a crossbow for
other purposes.
It was filed follow-
ing the October death
access to crossbows after The bill would limit a of 10-year-old Austin
a 13-year-old boy was child's access to cross- Almanza in Chandler.
bows except for hunt- A first-degree murder
after his playmate was ing animals and hunter charge has been filed
killed by an arrow. safety and training against the boy accused of
The Oklahoma House classes and would makes firing the bolt that killed
voted 54-38 against the it a misdemeanor for Austin and wounded his
anyone, including par- younger brother.
and something happens,
GUNS lives by the sword dies by
the sword. “If they shoot
and I discharge a weapon,
and I haphazardly injure
CONTINUED FROM 1A someone, regardless of folks who have nothing
their negligence, this to do with aggression,
says an innocent person I promise you I will be
protecting him inside his who is harmed, cannot adjudicated because that
church. bring an action against is the law,” he said. “The
“Many of us would like that vigilante.” person with a weapon is
for you to put your sword Babinec, the author of the responsible for that bul-
away and don’t try to bill that passed the House let from the barrel to the
protect me in my house 62-31, disagreed with the backstop. With great
of worship,” he said, ref- Democrats’ analysis. freedom and rights come
erencing the Bible verse “If I’m in my church responsibility.”
plating a walkout. tion set an April 23 dead- monthly pay increase of
“I implore you to do
everything that you can
line for the Legislature to
act on a teacher pay raise. 
$5,000. Kaye was named
interim  superintendent
to support your teach- The board, after meet- after Aurora Lora’s res-
ers,” Knapp said. “We ing privately Monday ignation in January. The
know that it is not your night, approved about $2 board appointed her act-
fault that we are in this million in tentative pay ing superintendent Feb.
position. But we are here increases for certified 1.
to support the teachers, teachers for this fiscal Board Chairwoman
not just for teacher pay — year and next. The step Paula Lewis said Kaye
that’s a huge issue — but increases, which need “has demonstrated her
that’s not the only issue. teacher union approval, commitment to our Dis-
“We need to be able to would be retroactive trict with her ability to
have the funding to do the from July 1, 2017, for FY continue to move us for-
things that we’re talking 2018 and July 1, 2018, for ward seamlessly through
about. To be able to have FY 2019. this period of transi-
the teachers. So what are tion.”
we doing as a board, as Other developments With the increase,
the administration, to Kaye’s total salary
support these teachers?” Panel members also through June will be
On Tuesday, the Okla- voted to give Kaye a $170,000, officials said.
homa Education Associa-
an issue of respect. The
platitudes and promises
teachers have received
from the current admin-
istration and our legisla-
ture are insulting. 
“By law, teachers
in Oklahoma are not
allowed to strike. But, if
they decide to come to
the Capitol to make their
case, I will stand with
them.”
Republican candidate
Gary Richardson, a Tulsa
attorney, said, “Okla-
homa’s teachers feel
forced to take extreme
measures and, frankly, I
don’t blame them. They
are fully justified in their
frustration and outrage
over the failure of our
leadership to give them
the raises they deserve. 
“We have several
options on the table to
raise teacher pay with-
out increasing taxes. The
in its second month and
I believe lawmakers have
time to head this off.
“I would like to appeal
to teachers, for the sake
of the children, to avoid
a strike if at all possible. 
Please be patient. By this
time next year, when I
am governor, I will make
sure teachers get the sal-
aries and the respect they
deserve.”