Mitchell Talks: Chickasaw Nation Reacts To Governor's Compact-Renegotiation Insistence

This week on Mitchell Talks, the News 9 Sessions, Episode 44, Aaron Brilbeck and Scott Mitchell talk with Stephen Greetham, Senior Council for the Chickasaw Nation, about the state’s gaming compact.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to renegotiate the compact because it expires after the new year. The tribes say the compact automatically rolls over for another 15 years, and renegotiating it isn’t necessary. Rather, the tribes say, the state can renegotiate the gaming rates without scrapping the entire compact.

Last month, the governor wrote a letter insisting the compacts would end January 1. Last week, the governor wrote another letter that took a softer tone, but one that the tribes say essentially says the same thing.

"There's the issue about whether or not the gaming compact renews, and there's the issue about the rates. And he’s not backing off on either position. He’s saying one, the compacts expire, and two, the rates are unfair,” Greetham said.

Greetham said the tribes are willing to discuss renegotiating the rates but will not budge on renegotiating the whole compact.

Watch the entire interview above.