Oklahoma tribal leaders denounce Governor’s gambling plan

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – The leaders of five of Oklahoma’s most powerful tribal nations have approved a resolution denouncing the new Republican governor’s plan to force negotiations for a bigger slice of revenue from Oklahoma’s tribal casinos.
The Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes approved the resolution Friday during a meeting in Tulsa. The Oklahoma-based Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek,) and Seminole nations represent about 750,000 Native Americans across the country.
In an editorial published this week, Gov. Kevin Stitt said that the existing compacts should be reevaluated now that the gambling industry has matured in Oklahoma. In a statement Friday, Stitt said that he’s been clear since his campaign that he’d seek a “fair-market deal” from the tribes.
Tribal leaders and the Governor disagree over what triggers a 15-year renewal of the compacts.