Gov. Stitt Vetoes Bill To Allow Tribal Regalia At High School Graduations

Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill that would guarantee Native American students the right to wear tribal regalia at graduation.

Senate Bill 429 would have prevented any school district from banning regalia at high school graduations. Stitt said the decision should be up to individual school districts, and said the bill would open a "pandora's box" for other groups to get special treatment. Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton calls the bill a "common sense measure" and points out that only one member of the legislation voted against it.

Previous Story: Bill To Allow Native American Students To Wear Tribal Regalia At Graduations Advances In The State Legislature

In 2019, then-Attorney General Mike Hunter issued a statement considering tribal regalia protected under the state's Religious Freedom Act and the first amendment, but some school districts still ban tribal regalia. Batton is asking lawmakers to override the veto.