OKLAHOMA CITY (May 28, 2026) - Today, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected Mayor Monroe Nichols’ attempt to cede authority to an Indian tribe. The decision voids a settlement agreement signed by Mayor Nichols between the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation that would have prevented municipal police and prosecutors from enforcing laws against tribal members.
“The Supreme Court ruled in favor of local law enforcement, restoring the position of previous City of Tulsa leadership and affirming my administration’s position that a city cannot unilaterally enter into an agreement without the Governor’s consent," said Gov. Stitt. “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."
This decision restores the posture of previous mayors in Tulsa, asserting that the city has the authority to ticket drivers no matter race. Former Mayor G.T. Bynum, whom the lawsuit was initially filed against, defended the City of Tulsa’s jurisdiction to ticket tribal members driving within city limits.
Under Mayor Monroe Nichols, the City of Tulsa changed its posture and entered into an agreement with the Muskogee Nation to remove the authority of Tulsa law enforcement to prosecute Indian defendants in the City of Tulsa as well to dismiss pending municipal prosecutions. This came after the Oklahoma courts had already confirmed the city’s authority to prosecute non-major crimes. Governor Stitt challenged the agreement, pointing out that precedent and that Mayor Nichols entered into this agreement without securing approval from the Governor or the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations as mandated in 74 O.S.2021, § 1221.
The Court’s opinion can be found here.
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