House committee to hear bill on death penalty moratorium

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A House committee plans to vote on a bill tomorrow that would put a one-year moratorium on the death penalty in Oklahoma.

Representative Opio Toure is the bill's author. He announced Monday he would maintain a period of fasting and prayer until the Rules Committee considers the measure.

Committee chairman Russ Roach says the committee was not scheduled to meet until next week. But Roach says he decided to push up consideration of the moratorium bill so that Toure would not -- quote -- "keel over."

Toure's bill also calls for a study of the state's death penalty law and procedures.