House Bill 3006, by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, would have extended the lifetime of the council until July 1, 2031. State agencies and boards often have sunset dates to ensure they remain necessary and effective.
The measure to extend its sunset date was enrolled and sent to the governor last week.
Lawmakers created the board in 2010 to advocate for Native American students and improve their educational quality by offering recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In a veto letter, Stitt wrote the council has not acted transparently or effectively, and that its work overlaps with the Office of American Indian Education.
"If the goal is smaller, more accountable government, there is no reason to keep extending a dormant, redundant advisory council that lacks transparency," Stitt wrote. "It should instead be eliminated."
Kendrix and Bergstrom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The council's website lists four meeting dates in 2026. Its most recent meeting on April 15 was canceled, according to a list of archived meetings.
In a previous interview, the OACIE Chair and Cherokee Nation Chief of Staff Corey Bunch said the council made great strides while discussing topics such as mascots in public schools and wearing tribal regalia at graduation. He argued that the council should exist indefinitely.
"Councils like these give a voice to our Native American students and our communities," Bunch said in January. "And it's very important that we keep these voices because varying administrations have varying priorities, and we want to make sure Native American students are always at the top of the priority list."
This is the first bill Stitt has vetoed in the current legislative session, according to Legiscan. He vetoed dozens of measures in 2025, and lawmakers ultimately overrode many before the session ended.
The legislature has until the end of the session to override the veto with a two-thirds majority across both chambers.
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