Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols pushes back against Gov. Stitt over Muscogee Creek Nation settlement

Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols defended the city’s settlement with the Muscogee Creek Nation on tribal jurisdiction during a press conference at City Hall Thursday, pushing back against Gov. Kevin Stitt’s effort to block the agreement.

>>> Related: City of Tulsa and Muscogee Creek Nation settle lawsuit, affirming tribal jurisdiction in municipal criminal cases

Full press conference available below:

Nichols said Tulsans should not be misled by claims that the city has failed to enforce the law.

“The notion that there’s been any time where we have not enforced the law in this city is false. It’s incorrect. It’s an outright lie,” Nichols said. “Governor knows that. Governor does not care about that.”

Nichols: Tulsa enforcing laws, crime is down

Nichols cited recent numbers from Operation Ceasefire, highlighting arrests and seizures as evidence of law enforcement.

“In just the last eight weeks, 88 felony arrests, 129 misdemeanor arrests, 157 firearms seized,” he said. “Not only are we enforcing the law, we’re doing it responsibly and getting dangerous people off the streets every day.”

Nichols added that mid-year reports show crime is down compared to last year.

Criticism of Gov. Stitt

Nichols directly criticized the governor, pointing to past actions including the removal of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol from Tulsa and a veto of legislation to increase law enforcement retirement benefits.

“If he were to more accurately file a lawsuit about who’s not enforcing the law in Tulsa, he should probably replace Mayor Monroe Nichols with Governor Kevin Stitt,” Nichols said.

“We’re doing the job of the city, and we’re doing the job of the state. And we’re as safe now as we’ve ever been and we're going to continue to make progress.”

FULL STATEMENT FROM GOV. STITT HERE >>> Gov. Stitt asks Oklahoma Supreme Court to block settlement between Tulsa and Muscogee Creek Nation

Working with Tribal Nations

Reporters asked about next steps with tribal governments. Nichols said the city and the Muscogee Creek Nation have already formed a working group.

“Everybody around the table is concerned about public safety. Everybody knows we have to get it right,” Nichols said. “We’re the largest city in the country that sits entirely on Indian reservation land. That’s not easy, but we stay in constant communication.”

Nichols emphasized that the question is who prosecutes cases, not whether laws are enforced.

“There has never been a time where enforcing the law was not part of the calculus,” Nichols said. “The question on the table is, who prosecutes who, based on the crime that they committed?”

Addressing concerns on tribal prosecutions

Nichols pushed back against claims that cases sent to tribal courts go unprosecuted.

“That’s not true. There are technical challenges, including transparency, but we have commitments from tribal nations to address those,” he said. “Not everybody who goes before the DA or a municipal prosecutor ends up in jail either.”

Homelessness and city priorities

Nichols also noted progress on homelessness efforts, saying the City Council voted 9-0 to house and support 300 people as part of Tulsa’s goal to reach “functional zero” homelessness by 2030.

He criticized Stitt for dissolving the state’s interagency council on homelessness two years ago.

“We’re just solving problems. Whether that’s homelessness, public safety, education, or economic development, we’re doing it with our partners,” Nichols said. “I’m really proud of the council. They showed not only can we do big things, but we can do hard things.”

News On 6's Emory Bryan attended the news conference and will provide updates throughout the day.

READ MORE:

Tulsa County DA expresses concern with Tulsa settlement agreement with Muscogee Creek Nation

Creek Freedmen celebrate landmark decision granting full citizenship in Muscogee Nation

Trial Begins For Black Creeks Looking To Reinstate Muscogee Nation Citizenship

-----

>>> Related: City of Tulsa and Muscogee Creek Nation settle lawsuit, affirming tribal jurisdiction in municipal criminal cases

Mayor Nichols will provide a statement about the filing that was announced in June. The settlement allows some cases, primarily traffic violations, to be handled in tribal courts instead of by Tulsa prosecutors.

The press conference begins at 11 a.m. and will be available to watch at NewsOn6.com or our YouTube page.

On Wednesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt released a statement saying Mayor Nichols does not have the authority to create two systems of justice in Tulsa.

FULL STATEMENT HERE >>> Gov. Stitt asks Oklahoma Supreme Court to block settlement between Tulsa and Muscogee Creek Nation

On Friday, the Tulsa City Council will hold a special meeting with the Muscogee Nation and Mayor Nichols' office.

News On 6's Emory Bryan will attend the news conference and provide updates throughout the day.

This is a developing story, refresh this page for updates.

READ MORE:

Tulsa County DA expresses concern with Tulsa settlement agreement with Muscogee Creek Nation

Creek Freedmen celebrate landmark decision granting full citizenship in Muscogee Nation

Trial Begins For Black Creeks Looking To Reinstate Muscogee Nation Citizenship