OKLAHOMA CITY — Tribal nations, advocates, and families of the missing are calling out Governor Kevin Stitt after he vetoed a bill designed to remove critical funding barriers in the fight to solve cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).
The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) is now urging Oklahomans to contact their lawmakers and demand they override Gov. Stitt’s May 5 veto of House Bill 1137—a bipartisan bill that passed the Oklahoma House 83–0 and the Senate 42–1.
HB 1137 was written by Rep. Ronald Stewart (D-Tulsa), a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. It would amend Ida’s Law, originally signed by Stitt in 2021, to eliminate a requirement that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) first secure federal funds before establishing an MMIP liaison office.
“The Legislature did its job. They passed a common-sense solution backed by Tribes, law enforcement, and both political parties, and we’re grateful for their overwhelming support,” said Margo Gray, Executive Director of UINO. “The Governor’s veto, however, is a blatant denial of justice and a slap in the face to Native families who deserve answers.”
Ida’s Law—and what’s at stake now
Named for Ida Beard, a Cheyenne and Arapaho mother of four who disappeared from El Reno in 2015 and has never been found, Ida’s Law was a landmark step toward creating a centralized response to the MMIP crisis in Oklahoma. But without funding, the state’s MMIP office exists in name only.
Two OSBI agents—Cherokee Nation citizens Dale Fine and Josh Patzkowski—continue investigating cases through what they describe as a “patchwork system” without an office, infrastructure, or adequate support. The federal funding clause has been a roadblock for years.
Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for MMIP cases, with 690 unresolved cases involving Native people as of January 2025. That includes 181 cases in Tulsa alone—the ninth-highest of any American city.
Native women and girls are disproportionately affected: homicide is the third leading cause of death for Native women between the ages of 15 and 24.
Ground zero, no support
“Three major interstates intersect in Oklahoma, which makes us ground zero for crimes that prey on vulnerable people,” said Gray. “Other states experiencing this same epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People have already properly enacted similar laws that strengthen coordination. By vetoing HB 1137, Gov. Stitt fails all Oklahomans by making our state the weak link.”
Advocates say the governor’s rationale—that prioritizing MMIP work is race-based—ignores both the crisis and the solution. The White House’s proposed 2026 budget includes a $107 million cut to the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ public safety programs, leaving state-level solutions more critical than ever.
“Oklahoma is ground zero for the MMIP crisis, and with federal budget cuts, vetoing this amendment to Ida’s Law essentially kills efforts to investigate and solve these cases,” said Ben Barnes, Chairperson of UINO.
“Gov. Stitt says creating this office, which was originally established by a law he signed in 2021, prioritizes cases based on race and sends the message that some lives are more worthy of attention than others. His veto of this bi-partisan, common sense law to achieve justice for victims and their families proves which lives are unworthy to him.”
A rare moment of unity—overridden by politics
Tribal governments, law enforcement, and intertribal coalitions backed HB 1137, and even editorial boards at The Oklahoman and Tulsa World have called for lawmakers to override the veto. Yet the legislation remains stalled unless Oklahoma lawmakers take action.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, a lack of coordination and resources is one of the biggest barriers to solving MMIP cases—exactly what the MMIP liaison office was designed to fix.
“Without this office,” Gray said, “this epidemic continues to go unchecked.”
UINO is urging Oklahomans to take action by:
- Finding your State Representative and Senator
- Calling or email them and ask for a veto override on HB 1137
- Thanking them for standing with Native families and communities in crisis
About UINO
The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma is a coalition of Tribal Nations and Tribal citizens committed to protecting Tribal sovereignty and advocating for justice through civic engagement and policy education.
