Governor Stitt, Seminole Nation agree to one-year tobacco compact extension

GOVERNOR AGRESS TO ONE-YEAR EXTENSION WITH SEMINOLE NATION ON TOBACCO COMPACT

Oklahoma City, Okla. (Jan. 3, 2020) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today that the State of Oklahoma has agreed to a one-year extension with Seminole Nation on a Tobacco Tax Compact.

“The Tobacco Tax Compact is an agreement between the State and the Seminole Nation that the two sovereigns will split evenly the tax revenue generated from the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at the Nation’s business locations,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The Tobacco Tax Compact between the State of Oklahoma and the Seminole Nation was constituted in November 2013 under the Fallin administration. The compact establishes a Compact Tax rate of 100 percent of the State tax rate on cigarettes and other tobacco products. The state will collect the Compact Tax directly from the wholesalers, and then the State will remit back to the Seminole Nation 50 percent of all Compact Taxes collected. The one-year extension maintains current compact terms and adjusts the expiration date to Dec. 31, 2020.

A copy of the compact can be read here.

Over the past year, the Governor signed a total of five extensions for the State on various tribal compacts, with the other four as follows:

• The State of Oklahoma and Cherokee Nation signed a 1-year extension on a hunting and fishing compact, which can be read here.
• The State of Oklahoma and Choctaw Nation signed a 1-year extension on a hunting and fishing compact, which can be read here.
• The State of Oklahoma and the Kialegee Tribal Town signed an 8-month extension on the Model Gaming Compact, which can be read here.
• The State of Oklahoma and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians signed an 8-month extension on the Model Gaming Compact, which can be read here.