Articles
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Economy
Experts: ‘Living wage’ means fewer jobs, less money for workers
At a recent legislative study, experts told Oklahoma state lawmakers that linking the state’s minimum wage to the cost of living in expensive cities like New York or San Francisco—a proposal known as State Question 832—would harm small businesses, shrink job opportunities, and ultimately reduce workers’ take-home pay.Ray Carter | October 24, 2025
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Economy
Data show $15 minimum wage tied to restaurant job losses
A proposed $15 minimum wage under State Question 832 would backfire on the very workers it claims to help. The Employment Policies Institute estimates the measure would eliminate more than 12,000 restaurant jobs in Oklahoma.Curtis Shelton | October 21, 2025
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Economy
To infinity and beyond: SQ 832’s minimum-wage plan is a flight of fantasy
If State Question 832 is approved, Oklahoma could one day have the nation’s highest minimum wage. It may feel bold and heroic, but it defies economic gravity and would send jobs, young workers, and small businesses crashing back to earth.Curtis Shelton | October 8, 2025
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Economy
The slow-motion disaster of raising Oklahoma’s minimum wage
State Question 832, if approved, will gradually raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage—but its slow rollout masks the economic damage it will cause.Byron Schlomach, Ph.D. | October 7, 2025
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Law & Principles, Economy
Minimum-wage hike hits Gen Z hardest
Thanks in part to steep minimum-wage hikes, youth employment in California has collapsed.Curtis Shelton | October 3, 2025
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Agriculture, Economy
Critics say proposed minimum-wage hike would export California’s problems to Oklahoma
A new Oklahoma ballot proposal, State Question 832, would dramatically raise the state’s minimum wage by tying it to the cost of living in expensive urban areas like San Francisco and New York City.Ray Carter | July 23, 2025
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Economy, Good Government
Oklahoma among nation’s job-growth leaders since COVID
Since the COVID-19 disruption in early 2020, Oklahoma has emerged as one of the nation’s top job creators, ranking 14th in payroll growth according to a new analysis of federal data.Ray Carter | July 21, 2025
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Education, Economy
Free markets require free minds—and that starts with reading
The free market depends on informed choices. But if kids can’t read, they can’t choose wisely. Illiteracy is more than an education issue—it’s an economic one.Curtis Shelton | June 20, 2025
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Economy
Oklahoma’s ranking slips as other states advance pro-growth reforms
The competition never rests. Now is no time for Oklahoma to be satisfied with its past reforms.Jonathan Small | May 19, 2025
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Budget & Tax, Economy
Standing still, falling behind: Oklahoma slips in economic-outlook ranking
Oklahoma has slipped in the latest “Rich States, Poor States” ranking as other states surge ahead with tax cuts.Curtis Shelton | April 30, 2025