OKLAHOMA CITY — On May 5, tribes across Oklahoma gathered to honor and remember Indigenous people who were murdered or are still missing.
On the same day, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed House Bill 1137, which would've provided state funding for the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The bill would've amended the existing Ida's Law or House Bill 3345. In its current state, it has requirements for federal funding before the office can be created, but the amendment (HB 1137), would've taken those requirements out.
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2 News asked Governor Stitt's office why he chose to veto the bill. While he didn't respond to us for comment, he posted a video on his Facebook page about the bill.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. called the veto "breathtaking ignorance" of issues that tribes face and existing teamwork to resolve them.
"HB 1137, a bipartisan amendment to Ida’s law, was a housekeeping measure designed to strip an unnecessary federal funding requirement," Hoskin Jr. said. "Governor Stitt’s veto message, issued on a day we raise awareness across the country on MMIP issues, exposes that he lacks the foggiest idea that Ida’s law is on the books, what it does on a low budget cost high impact basis, or what the simple amendment was designed to do."
Hoskin Jr. said Native Americans are disproportionately victims of violent crime and disproportionately so in cases that go unresolved.
"Serious leaders across the state and the nation understand that and are taking action. Governor Stitt should do more thinking and less thoughtless reacting when the lives of native people are at stake," he said.
HB 1137 received bipartisan support before it reached the Governor's desk. Tulsa Representative Ron Stewart said the veto was deeply disappointing.
“I am deeply disappointed in the Governor's decision to veto House Bill 1137 – especially on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Day at the Capitol,” Stewart said. “This bill represented a meaningful step forward in addressing an issue that affects families and communities across Oklahoma.
“I am grateful for the strong bipartisan support HB 1137 received in both the House and Senate, a clear reflection of the Legislature’s shared commitment to justice and accountability for our most vulnerable.
“While this veto is a setback, it is not the end. I will use this moment as motivation to continue working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to advance legislation that serves the best interests of all Oklahomans, honors the lives impacted, and ensures no community is left behind.”
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