House overrides veto of tribal compact bill

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House of Representatives voted Monday to override the veto of a measure allowing any tribe with an existing motor vehicle licensing or registration agreement with the state to extend the agreement until Dec. 31, 2024.

House Bill 1005X was filed in the First Extraordinary Session of the 59th Legislature, making it eligible to be considered for a veto override after the May 26 sine die of the regular session. The bill first passed the House with a 82-13 vote on May 24 and later passed the Senate 40-4, according to a press release.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said the override was necessary to avoid a harmful effect on the state budget and facilitate further conversations regarding the compacts.

“Extending the compacts in their current form while tribal and state leaders consider any alternative agreements is our best option to keep this important revenue stream available and avoid potentially harmful effects on the state budget,” McCall said in a statement. “Recently, a number of conversations between state and tribal leaders regarding the compacts have taken place, sparked in large part due to the introduction of these compact bills in their original form. The House, in passing this legislation, is exercising their proper authority in the compacting process and we look forward to continued conversations until a new long-term deal is struck.”

Veto overrides require a two-thirds approval from each chamber and must begin in the bill’s chamber of origin. HB1005X passed the House 74-11 on Monday and is available for consideration by the Senate.

The House also approved House Concurrent Resolution 1002X to remove the June 30 special session deadline to allow more time for both chambers to consider legislation in special session.