Gov. Stitt vetoes bill removing federal funding requirement for Indigenous investigations

Gov. Kevin Stitt has vetoed a bill that would have removed a federal funding requirement for the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). The decision sparked sharp criticism from tribal leaders, who say the veto reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Native American issues and undermines efforts to address a crisis facing tribal communities.

The vetoed legislation, House Bill 1137, aimed to amend “Ida’s Law,” a bipartisan measure passed in 2021 that created a dedicated office within the OSBI to investigate MMIP cases.

What the bill would have changed

House Bill 1137 was an amendment to an existing law. “Ida’s Law,” passed in 2021, required the OSBI to obtain federal funding to support its work on MMIP cases. HB 1137 would have eliminated that federal funding requirement, allowing the office to be funded by state dollars instead.

The bill passed the House unanimously with 83 yes votes and passed the Senate with 42 yes votes and just one no vote.

Stitt defends veto, citing equal protection

In his veto message, Stitt said he supports efforts to solve missing persons and homicide cases, but could not approve legislation that creates a separate investigative unit based on race.

His office said the governor does not think state funding is needed for the program.

His full veto message reads:

"While I support efforts to solve missing persons and homicide cases, I cannot endorse legislation that singles out victims based solely on their race. House Bill 1137 requires the creation of a unit within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) that focuses exclusively on missing and murdered Indigenous persons. But every missing person— regardless of race or background—deserves equal attention and urgency. Oklahoma already has both the Missing Persons Clearing House and the Cold Case Unit within OSBI, which are tasked with investigating disappearances and unsolved cases across all communities. Creating a separate office that prioritizes cases based on race undermines the principle of equal protection under the law and risks sending the message that some lives are more worthy of government attention than others. Justice must be blind to race. Our resources and investigative efforts should be deployed based on the needs of the case, not the identity of the victim. For these reasons, I have vetoed Enrolled House Bill 1137."

Cherokee chief: ‘Absurd level’ of misunderstanding

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says the governor didn't fully understand the bill. He says tribal members are disproportionately victims of violent crimes that go unsolved.

His full statement reads:

“Governor Stitt’s breathtaking ignorance of the issues facing tribes and existing teamwork to resolve those issues reached an absurd level today with his veto of HB 1137. The existing “Ida’s Law,” a bipartisan reflection of the sort of teamwork needed to address missing and murdered indigenous persons cases, is an effective law that enables tribal law enforcement and OSBI to work better together on MMIP cases. HB 1137, a bipartisan amendment to Ida’s law, was a housekeeping measure designed to strip an unnecessary federal funding requirement. 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. He also continues to conflate the political status of tribal citizens with “race,” a tired old subject meant to divide and confuse people. Native Americans are disproportionally victims of violent crime and disproportionally so in cases that go unsolved. 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.”

What’s next for MMIP investigations

Despite the veto, the OSBI says it will continue its work on MMIP cases with its current staffing levels. The agency’s two dedicated MMIP agents remain in place, and the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office also investigate MMIP cases across Oklahoma.

It’s unclear whether the Legislature will attempt to override the governor's veto or pursue new legislation in the next session to address funding stability for the MMIP office.