Tuesday, January 26th 2021, 12:25 pm
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has declared in favor of Senate Pro Temp Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall that Governor Stitt overstepped his authority by bypassing the legislature.
In December of 2019, Governor Stitt signed an extension with the United Keetoowah Band & Kialegee Tribal Town unilaterally. On Tuesday, the court ruled that by entering into the new compacts with the two tribes under different terms than the Model Gaming Compact and without approval from the Joint Committee, the executive branch disrupted the balance between itself and the legislative branch.
The court concluded by declaring that without approval by the Joined Committee, the new tribal gaming compacts are invalid under Oklahoma Law. The Supreme Court recently tossed out two other compacts with The Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe on the same grounds.
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State Supreme Court Rules 2 Recent Tribal Gaming Compacts Are Invalid
The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Chairman Matthew L. Morgan issued this statement in response to the ruling:
"We appreciate the clarity and succinct wisdom of the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling today:
'The Executive branch’s action in entering into the new compacts with the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Kialegee Tribal Town – containing different terms than the Model Gaming Compact and without approval from the Joint Committee – disrupts the proper balance between the Executive and Legislative branches.'
As we have consistently maintained, the renewed Model Gaming Compact crafted more than 15 years ago is the only valid electronic gaming compact between the State and any Oklahoma Tribal Nation."
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