OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Oklahoma Legislature successfully overrode the governor's vetoes with bipartisan support through house votes 72-16 Monday in what was the end of a special session.
This comes a week after the Oklahoma Senate voted the same way.
By Monday afternoon, Gov. Stitt slammed the votes in a press conference and announced he's suing.
"We need the courts to tell us, does the governor have the authority to negotiate the compacts, or does the legislature have the authority?"
Lawmakers approved extending a deal between the state of Oklahoma and 38 tribal nations to continue splitting $57 million in tobacco and car tag revenue 50-50 through the end of 2024.
The vote means the extension of Tribal Compacts Tobacco Product Sales will continue until Dec. 31, 2024.
That goes too far without enough exceptions, according to the governor.
"What they're hoping to do is turn 42% of our state into a reservation. I don't think that's good for Oklahomans. I don't think people in Tulsa want that to happen," Gov. Stitt said.
In a Zoom interview with 2 News Monday evening, Tulsa Democratic Rep. Melissa Provenzano said she takes exception to the governor's remarks.
"That's wildly offensive. The eastern half of the state is home to our tribes," Rep. Provenzano said.
"It's a little embarrassing that we have a governor that's committed to peddling a different narrative than what the reality is. Even more so, is that we've become this government that's litigious."
“The 38 federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma are sovereign nations and are important partners in developing and growing our state’s economy. The tribes send millions of dollars of revenue to the state and the compacts have worked very well over the years. Simply put, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it, especially if it will involve long, expensive legal battles in court that may result in less revenue for the state of Oklahoma,” House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson said.
Munson said extending the compact sharing sales tax on tobacco products allows the state to continue receiving revenues it relies on for the state budget.
Like the representatives, major eastern Oklahoma tribal nations support the override of Gov. Stitt's veto.
The Choctaw Nation released this statement about the decision:
“Throughout the regular session and after, Oklahoma’s Legislature has made one thing very clear: They understand the importance of cooperation between the state and sovereign tribal nations, and they acknowledge the benefits working together provide for all Oklahomans,” said Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton. “We thank the Senate and the House for their willingness to collaborate, and for their endurance in correcting Gov. Stitt’s errors.”
"We are pleased the one-year extensions of compacts regarding tobacco and motor vehicle tags are now complete, and we look forward to finding long-term, win-win solutions,” Batton said.
Here is what the Cherokee Nation said:
Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat held a press conference following the vote:
On July 24, the Senate voted 34-7, achieving the needed 2/3 vote.
Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin said this is a great step forward in preserving carefully negotiated compact agreements that have served both Oklahoma and Cherokee Nation well for decades.
Here is his full statement:
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said all Oklahomans will benefit from this decision.
“Despite Gov. Stitt’s attempts to muddy the waters, the Oklahoma Senate did the right thing today by overriding his veto of compacts regarding tobacco sales and motor vehicle tags. These important agreements provide massive benefits for tribes and all Oklahomans, and we thank the Legislature for doing what is right,” Batton said. “The Choctaw Nation remains open to negotiating on long-term compacts, and we trust good-faith discussions will start soon.”
“All Oklahomans benefit from fair agreements between tribes and state government, and we look forward to continuing our partnerships,” Batton said.
Provenzano said Stitt should trust the bipartisanship of the legislature.
"I believe we can do better with the taxpayer dollar, and just what it's going to cost to hire lawyers to see this through is a waste of everybody's time and hard-earned dollars," she said.
But the governor believes the lawsuit will show the bills passed don't work for most Oklahomans.
"My job is to protect all four million Oklahomans and not just do a deal that's good for one industry or one special interest group," he said.
Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, released the following statement in response to the governor's lawsuit filed against the Speaker and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma, regarding tribal compacts:
"Today, Gov. Stitt filed the latest in a series of lawsuits that waste taxpayer dollars and attempt to undermine legitimate compact negotiations with our state's federally recognized tribes. A plain reading of the decisions in Treat I and II shows that his legal questions have already been answered by the court and the governor simply fails or refuses to accept the answer and recognize the law. This is further evidenced by the litigation currently filed in the District of Columbia. Rather than accept the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision, and work with the Legislature and our state's tribal partners on a way forward, Gov. Stitt has spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on D.C. attorneys in an attempt to give up Oklahoma sovereignty to the Biden Administration in hopes that they will agree with him and undermine Oklahoma law.
In his comments to the media, the governor called into question the legitimacy of the special session that was held to override his vetoes regarding legislation extending compacts with our tribal partners. The Legislature's ability to call a special session, and the particular special session call itself, are well within the Legislature's constitutional authority.
Both the House and Senate followed the law and the Governor simply does not agree with the result. But the legislators, those closest to all 4 million Oklahomans, know that the citizens are counting on them to find solutions rather than to simply fear monger and cost the state tens of millions of tax dollars that go to important core services like education. Rather than simply allowing compacts to lapse and wasting time, and more importantly taxpayer dollars, on frivolous lawsuits, the governor should focus on ways to work with all parties, including our tribal partners, to find solutions that make sense for our entire state.
I look forward to continuing negotiations on tribal compacts with all interested parties, and await the court's decision on the most recently filed lawsuit."
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