Oklahoma governor signs latest deal with a tribal nation. Here's what to know

Molly Young, The Oklahoman
·2 min read
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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed on to five tobacco tax compacts with tribal nations, including the Wyandotte and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, since the start of the year.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed on to five tobacco tax compacts with tribal nations, including the Wyandotte and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, since the start of the year.
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Oklahoma's governor signed on to the state's latest tobacco tax compact with a tribal nation Monday.

The deal with the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes is the fifth tobacco compact reached by Gov. Kevin Stitt since the start of the year. Terri Parton, the president of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes based in Anadarko, also signed the agreement Monday.

The compact, which took effect this month, retains a 50-50, state-tribal split on tax money generated from tobacco products sold on tribal land.

More: How to read all of the new state-tribal compacts

Deal is latest agreement amid disagreements over compacts between Oklahoma Gov. Stitt, tribal nations

Tobacco compacts became a political hot button last year as many of the deals were about to run out. Stitt and state legislators disagreed over negotiation tactics. Lawmakers voted to extend the compacts as-is through 2024 to give state and tribal officials more time to negotiate long-term agreements.

Stitt opposed the extensions and sued to stop them. Still, he has been able to come to terms with several tribal nations in recent weeks, including the Apache, Chickasaw, Citizen Potawatomi and Wyandotte nations.

More: Gov. Stitt says new compact guarantees access to tribal tag data. But the state already had the data

The governor's sticking point has been limiting the compacts to exclude tribal reservations recognized after the landmark Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma. The new agreements only apply to certain types of land owned by or on behalf of tribes, not larger reservation areas.

Stitt also renewed the state's car tag compact with the Chickasaw Nation in January.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has yet to rule in the governor's lawsuit challenging the validity of the compact extensions passed by the Legislature.

More: Behind the newest state-tribal compacts and what they mean

Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes reach tax compact deal