Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Supreme Court has rejected a settlement agreement involving the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a decision Governor Kevin Stitt says restores proper law enforcement authority in the city.
Governor Kevin Stitt said the ruling voids an agreement that had been signed under Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and would have limited how municipal police and prosecutors could enforce laws against tribal members within city limits.
Stitt said the court affirmed his administration’s position that a city cannot unilaterally enter into such agreements without required state approval, including consent from the governor.
He criticized the agreement, stating it would have changed how laws were enforced based on race.
“This agreement would have mandated that Tulsa’s laws were to be enforced based on race. You can’t pick and choose who to apply the law to, especially based on race,” Stitt said.
According to the governor, the ruling restores the approach used by previous Tulsa leadership, which maintained that city authorities have the jurisdiction to enforce municipal laws and issue citations regardless of a person’s race or tribal affiliation.
The settlement had attempted to limit municipal enforcement and dismiss certain pending cases involving tribal members, but the state challenged the agreement, arguing it violated established legal procedures and required approvals under Oklahoma law.
Stitt said the Supreme Court’s decision reinforces state oversight requirements and upholds consistent enforcement of municipal laws across all residents in Tulsa.
