WASHINGTON – The United States Supreme Court will not hear Mvskoke citizen Alicia Stroble’s appeal in her income tax case. As previously reported, Stroble filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the high court on Sept. 29, 2025.
Stroble sought to have her Oklahoma Supreme Court decision reheard. The Oklahoma Supreme Court had found that the McGirt decision did not apply to civil cases and denied that Stroble was exempt from Oklahoma state income taxes under an Oklahoma tax code exemption for tribal employees.
Mvskoke Media received the following statement from Principal Chief David Hill:
We had hoped the U.S. Supreme Court would step in to address an egregiously wrong Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that disregards decades of settled federal law. While the Court declined review, this matter is far from resolved.
Federal law governing state taxation of Indians is clear and has been reaffirmed repeatedly over time. When a state court ignores that law, it undermines legal certainty and invites confusion and conflict. That is not acceptable for tribal citizens, and it is not acceptable for the State of Oklahoma.
We are reviewing all available options, including seeking a remedy in federal court. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation will continue to stand up for its citizens and for the principle that the law applies equally—regardless of political agendas.
Recent attempts by Governor Kevin Stitt to characterize these long-established legal protections as a “racial preference” are simply false. The United States Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear that tribal citizenship is a political classification, not a racial one. Tribal nations are diverse, with citizens of many races and backgrounds. What unites our citizens is citizenship in a sovereign tribal nation, not race.
The State of Oklahoma’s ongoing pattern of selectively complying with settled law poses a danger to all Oklahomans. The rule of law cannot be optional.
