TULSA — A federal judge issued a final judgment in favor of a group of Oklahoma tribes that have been locked in an ongoing battle with Gov. Kevin Stitt over tribal gaming compacts.
Calling the terms of the compacts “unambiguous,” Chief U.S. District Timothy D. DeGiusti on Wednesday certified his July ruling that gaming compacts between several Oklahoma tribes automatically renewed for an additional 15-year term on Jan. 1, 2020.
The ruling was a win for eight Oklahoma tribes that have claimed all along that the compacts automatically renewed. Three tribes initially filed the suit on Dec. 31, 2019, and were later joined by other Oklahoma tribes in the legal tussle.
The eight tribes involved in the lawsuit are the Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Quapaw Nation, Delaware Nation and Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.
The final judgment is another loss this year for Stitt, who has fought with the state’s tribes and his own Republican colleagues in the state legislature over gaming issues.
In July, the Oklahoma State Supreme Court ruled that Stitt exceeded his legal authority when he signed gaming compacts with two other tribes — Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe — that included provisions for sports betting. Those gaming compacts were ruled invalid by the court.
Oklahoma’s GOP Speaker of the House Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, also a Republican, criticized Stitt for his actions and lauded the ruling.
“From the start, this was about separation of powers, and the Supreme Court affirmed as much with a decisive ruling,” McCall said in a statement following the ruling. “Oklahoma and its tribal nations can move forward from this together as partners, as we have done for decades with great success.”
“When one branch of government acts outside of its authority, the other branches must take steps to restore the balance of power,” Treat said at the time.
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism
Native News Online is an independent, Indigenous-led newsroom with a crucial mission: We want to change the narrative about Indian Country. We do this by producing intelligent, fact-based journalism that tells the full story from all corners of Indian Country. We pride ourselves on covering the tribes you may have never heard of before and by respecting and listening to the communities we serve through our reporting. As newsrooms across the country continue to shrink, coverage of Indian Country is more important than ever, and we are committed to filling this ever-present hole in journalism.
Because we believe everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities, the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. But we hope it inspires you to make a gift to Native News Online so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount, big or small, gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
