ADVOCACY ALERT | Ask the House of Representatives to respect Tribal sovereignty and vote NO on SB 675 that seeks to force release of Tribal data

Lawmakers are seeking to advance Senate Bill 675, which seeks to circumvent Tribal sovereign control over data.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS | Ask the House of Representatives to respect Tribal sovereignty and vote NO on SB 675 that seeks to force release of Tribal data   Oklahoma elected officials and policymakers should work directly with each Tribal nation within the state's borders when issues arise. But, lawmakers are seeking to advance Senate Bill 675, which seeks to circumvent Tribal sovereign control over data. The bill passed in the Senate on 3/25/25 and advanced to the House for consideration.   Lawmakers should not pass this bill. Instead, state officials should utilize existing channels of direct communication to mutually resolve any concerns between the state and Tribal governments including direct tribal consultation with all the Tribal nations.  EMAIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS Senate Bill 675 allows the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (OLETS) — the communications backbone between law enforcement agencies — to share vehicle registration information to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA). OTA sought this access to law enforcement information in order to collect cashless tolls from tribal citizens who have tribal license plates. OTA has systems in place that should easily facilitate direct tribal consultation, including its Tribal Advisory Board that has been in place for more than two decades.  While the OTA already receives tribal license plate information through Compacts with the Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, and Cherokee Nation and by agreement with Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Sac and Fox Nation, and Shawnee Tribe. The remaining Tribal nations should be afforded the same opportunity.  27 of the 33 Tribes that issue their own tags currently have access to OLETS and submit information voluntarily specifically for public safety purposes.  Tribal leaders also want to mitigate the risk of data being misused; they have sovereign authority to use, control, and transfer data to serve and protect their communities on their own terms. [Learn more] The State of Oklahoma should continue to negotiate with each Tribal nation in good faith rather than strong-arm the remaining Tribal nations with this bill.  Please contact members of the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee and the Public Safety Committee now and ask them to vote NO on SB 675.   Please use the convenient form linked in this email to contact committee members now and ask them to vote NO on SB 675. The Oklahoma House of Representatives website also has the contact information for the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee and the Public Safety Committee. You can also find contact information for your lawmakers on OK Policy's Legislator Lookup at okpolicy.org/findmylawmaker. EMAIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS Want to know more about Tribal Data Sovereignty and why it matters? Here are some additional resources that provide background and context:  Native Data Sovereignty Can Address Data Gaps and Improve Equity [Urban Institute] A new era for Indigenous data sovereignty [Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis] Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance [Native Nations Institute / University of Arizona] Learn More Contact Together Oklahoma, a program of  Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org   Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.