Oklahoma allows tribal tobacco compacts to expire

Tuesday, March 11, 2008  

The state of Oklahoma has allowed four tribal tobacco compacts to expire and more are on the way.

The compacts with the Ft. Sill Apache Tribe, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Kaw Nation expired recently. More compacts are set to expire in April, The Journal Record reported.

The Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Kaw Nation filed suit in Friday to challenge the state's termination. They say they weren't given six months notice and that the state is trying to force the tribes to share more of their tobacco revenues.

The 10-year compacts were signed in 1998 and require the tribes to share 25 percent of tax revenues with the state.

Get the Story:
Tobacco tax advisory panel laments lack of influence (The Journal Record 3/11)
Tribes file lawsuits as compacts ended (AP 3/9)