Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has been dealt another lousy hand in his quest to reshape the commercial relationship between the state and its tribal casino operators.
Gov. Stitt’s efforts to squeeze more money out of the state’s tribal operators have so far been thwarted in state and federal courts. (Image: Alex Wong/Getty)
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Stitt had overstepped his authority when he renegotiated compacts with two tribes, the Kialegee Tribal Town and the United Keetoowah Band (UKB) of Cherokee.
To be fair, the Republican governor was unlikely to have been totally blindsided by the court’s decision. In July, it reached the same verdict in relation to two similar compacts Stitt had negotiated, with the Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria tribes, respectively.