Economy

Enid leaders urge voters to reject SQ 832

June 1, 2026

Ray Carter

Business leaders in Enid have joined the growing throng of those opposing State Question 832, which would more than double Oklahoma’s minimum wage and then raise it further each year.

On May 29, officials with the Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce announced the group’s opposition.

In an email, Enid Chamber Board Chairman Mike Riddle, speaking on behalf of the Greater Enid Chamber Board of Directors, stated, “After careful review and discussion, the Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors encourages a ‘No’ vote on SQ 832.”

“The Chamber’s concerns with SQ 832 center on two primary issues: the permanent automatic indexing structure created after 2029 and the elimination of several longstanding exemptions within Oklahoma’s minimum wage law,” Riddle wrote.

Under SQ 832, the minimum wage in Oklahoma will more than double to $15 an hour by 2029 and then continue rising at a rapid pace every year thereafter based on increases in the cost of living in the nation’s largest urban centers, as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. That would effectively tie Oklahoma’s wage mandate to the cost of living in places like New York City or San Francisco.

As a result, while SQ 832 would initially mandate that entry-level jobs pay $15 an hour in 2029, an analysis by The State Chamber of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Farm Bureau found SQ 832 would put Oklahoma’s minimum wage on a fast track to $35.61 per hour and continue rising thereafter.

SQ 832’s requirement for Oklahoma’s minimum wage to continually increase based on cost-of-living changes in the nation’s largest urban centers creates “a permanent escalation structure with no future legislative review or local flexibility,” Riddle noted.

He wrote that SQ 832’s negative consequences could be especially harsh for small businesses and rural employers.

“The Chamber believes this type of uncapped automatic increase could create significant challenges for Oklahoma employers, particularly small and mid-sized businesses operating in rural and regional communities like Enid,” Riddle wrote.

He also noted that SQ 832 eliminates “exemptions currently affecting seasonal, agricultural, part-time, and entry-level employment.”

“For many Northwest Oklahoma employers, these positions provide important opportunities for students, first-time workers, second-chance employment, and seasonal labor,” Riddle wrote. “The Chamber is concerned about the immediate and long-term implications of eliminating these exemptions, including additional pressure on hiring, scheduling, benefits, pricing, and long-term investment decisions for businesses already navigating inflation and workforce shortages.”

A wide range of organizations have announced their opposition to SQ 832, including the State Chamber of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Associated Builders and Contractors–Oklahoma. 

Prominent state officials, including the top five candidates for the Republican nomination for Oklahoma governor, have also announced their opposition.