Gentner Drummond, the Attorney General of Oklahoma, declared on Tuesday that he intends to champion the state’s interests in an enduring legal dispute associated with unauthorized gaming agreements that have led to considerable drainage of state resources. Back in 2020, the office of Governor Kevin Stitt revised gaming agreements with four Native tribes – the Otoe-Missouria, the Kialegee Tribal Town, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Comanche Nation. As a result of this action, four other tribal nations, namely the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Citizen Potawatomi, initiated federal lawsuits, questioning the limits of the Governor’s powers with respect to the ratified gaming agreements.
Gov. Stitt’s gaming agreements were primarily criticized for lacking the legislative authority for their implementation. This protracted legal conflict saw the Oklahoma Supreme Court reach a resolution twice that the aforementioned gaming agreements were not valid, despite the fact that the Governor had solicited approval for them from the Fed.
Damages to the Relationship between the State and Tribal Entities
Recently, the State’s Attorney General confirmed his intention to participate in the lawsuit to uphold the state’s interests and conveyed his decision to the Governor via a personal phone call and an official communique. In his communication, Drummond emphasized that while Gov. Stitt can negotiate with the tribes, he cannot overstep the boundaries of existing Oklahoma laws. The Attorney General further wrote, “I embark on this endeavor to preserve the law and protect our constitution.”
Furthermore, Drummond reproached the Governor for eroding the relationship between the state and tribal communities, while concurrently disregarding the law. He stated that the Governor didn’t implement gaming agreements that could have been beneficial to Oklahoma residents, but rather chose to entangle the state in “expensive legal disputes.” Drummond declared: “State resources amounting to millions of dollars have been wasted on these futile endeavours.”
“The cordiality between Oklahoma and our tribal allies has severely deteriorated due to your contentious rhetoric and defiance to uphold the law,”
quoted Attorney General Gentner Drummond
As per the Attorney General’s latest release, there are approximately $600,000 in outstanding charges for private legal firms currently advocating for the illegally sanctioned gaming agreements. He added that other legal conflicts have resulted in multimillion-dollar losses during Gov. Stitt’s tenure. The Attorney General emphasized that he speaks for a “diverse coalition of state leaders” with an overarching aim of rectifying the harm caused by the illegitimate gaming agreements with the tribal operators.
In the wake of the situation, earlier this week, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat alluded to the possibility of lawmakers reconsidering the delegation of authority to negotiate tribal gaming agreements, from the Governor to the Senate. How this change might be implemented is yet to be elucidated.
