Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have filed a lawsuit with the Oklahoma Supreme Court challenging a recent legal opinion from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond that addresses enforcement of state wildlife laws.
The lawsuit targets Attorney General Opinion 2025-19, which the governor and the department argue improperly limits the state’s ability to enforce hunting and fishing laws for tribal citizens in parts of eastern Oklahoma. They contend the opinion oversteps the Attorney General’s authority and interferes with matters they say should be decided by the courts.
“For more than a century, Oklahoma has had one clear, fair rule for everyone: if you hunt or fish in this state, you follow Oklahoma’s laws,” Stitt said. “The Attorney General cannot shut down law enforcement based on his personal view of what the law should be. This lawsuit ensures those decisions are made by the courts, not by a single state official.”
According to the filing, the Department of Wildlife argues that attorney general opinions are advisory when they address constitutional questions and should not be treated as binding on state agencies. The lawsuit asks the Oklahoma Supreme Court to declare the opinion advisory only and to block any attempt to enforce it as controlling authority.
State officials are also asking the court to affirm that Oklahoma retains the authority to enforce wildlife laws on non trust lands, as it has historically done. The case was filed directly with the Oklahoma Supreme Court, with the governor and the department citing the statewide impact and the need for clarity as related federal litigation continues.
