OK: At odds with the tribes, Stitt stripped of power over Native American education council
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma lawmakers curtailed Gov. Kevin Stitt’s influence over a board devoted to Native American education as the state’s chief executive continues to feud with tribal leaders.
Lawmakers stripped Stitt of eight of his nine appointments to the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education — a lesser known state board that could play a key role in crafting new public school curricula on Native American issues, a priority for state Superintendent Ryan Walters.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 299 this year to continue the advisory council until 2026. The measure also reduced the number of Stitt appointees on the panel. It was one of several bills introduced to limit the governor’s power over various state boards and commissions.
Tribal leaders, who requested the legislation, said Stitt left vacancies on the council for years and refused to act despite tribes submitting potential nominees.
“The tribes felt like their voices were not being heard on the board,” Sen. Roger Thompson, the bill’s author, told the Oklahoma Voice.
https://oklahomavoice.com/2023/08/30/at-odds-with-the-tribes-stitt-stripped-of-power-over-native-american-education-council/