By Grant D. Crawford | Tahlequah Daily Press
May 10, 2021
May 10, 2021
TAHLEQUAH â The Cherokee and Chickasaw nations are pushing Congress to pass legislation to allow the state of Oklahoma to compact with tribes on criminal subject matter jurisdiction.
The tribes reportedly expecting the legislation â by Republican Congressman Tom Cole â to be introduced Tuesday. It purportedly provides the framework for the two tribes to enter into agreements with the state. It follows the McGirt decision, which has shifted the outlook of criminal jurisdiction in eastern Oklahoma.
After the Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that the Muscogee Nationâs reservation was never disestablished by Congress, subsequent rulings have decided the same for Cherokee and Chickasaw nations.