A bill to disband the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission and replace it with a cabinet-level liaison passed the state Legislature in just nine days, giving tribes little opportunity to comment on it.

HB2172 was first read on May 11. It was introduced by Rep. Ron Peters (R), who acknowledged that he didn't consult tribes beforehand.

"We don't always consult people in advance who would be directly affected by a bill," Peters told The Tulsa World.

Peters said he gave tribe six days to comment before he brought the bill to the House floor for a vote. It passed by 54-37 on May 18.

"If folks are really upset about a bill, they would have made contact within those six days," Peters told the paper.

The bill passed the Senate two days later. Gov. Mary Fallin (R) hasn't said whether she will sign it.

"From our point of view, all tribal governments in the state of Oklahoma collaborate with other agencies and organizations to provide needed and additional services and have been good citizens and stewards to all Oklahoma residents," Pawnee Nation President George Howell said in a letter to Fallin, the World reported. "We wonder how this can continue without a method of direct contact that has been provided for years through the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission."

Get the Story:
Bill creates new tribal role (The Tulsa World 5/21)
Bill to abolish Indian Affairs Commission, create liaison gets mixed reviews (The Tulsa World 5/22)

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