Economy

More than 100 Oklahoma lawmakers oppose SQ 832

Ray Carter | June 1, 2026

More than 100 Oklahoma state lawmakers have signed a letter urging voters to oppose State Question 832, which would impose a California-style minimum wage law on Oklahoma, doubling the wage mandate and continuing to increase it every year.

The state leaders warned that the impact of SQ 832 will be “severe,” resulting in lost jobs and rising costs. They urged voters to reject the proposal “not only to protect jobs and opportunity in Oklahoma—but also to protect municipal services, county services, and taxpayers.”

“State Question 832 will be on the June 16 primary ballot. If passed, it would mandate a California-style rapid increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour, as well as mandate a never-ending escalator (based on the cost of living in big cities) to increase the minimum wage every year,” the lawmakers wrote. “The economic fallout will be severe: jobs will be eliminated, hours and/or benefits will be cut, employment opportunities will shrink, and prices will rise for groceries, healthcare, transportation, construction, childcare, housing, education, utilities, and other services that working families and taxpayers rely on.

The lawmakers warn that SQ 832's requirement to tie future wage increases to inflation measures based on large urban areas could force local governments to raise taxes, reduce services, or cut jobs while increasing costs for Oklahoma families and businesses.

“We, the undersigned, strongly oppose SQ 832,” the letter continued.

State Question 832 would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2029 and then continue increasing the mandate every year.

Under SQ 832, after the minimum wage is more than doubled, the mandate would continue to grow at a rapid annual pace 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.

The lawmakers noted SQ 832 would impact municipal and county government budgets because it would require taxpayers to provide higher wages to government workers at a pace experts have warned will quickly exceed available tax revenue.

“On the surface, it seems like a modest increase in the minimum wage and might not seem like a big deal for your city or county,” the lawmakers noted. “But, beginning in 2030, the minimum wage will increase each year based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This is big-city price increases (not small-town Oklahoma prices) determining labor costs in Oklahoma. Very quickly, municipal and county budgets will become unsustainable.

“You will face many tough choices if SQ 832 passes: which taxes to raise, what services to eliminate, and which employees to let go,” the lawmakers continued. “In 2024, California raised the minimum wage for fast food workers. Within a year, 18,000 jobs were eliminated. Increases in Washington and Oregon had similar results.”

The lawmakers noted Oklahoma’s economy is currently performing well, and wages are rising due to market forces. They warned that those trends could be reversed as SQ 832 drives up the cost of living in Oklahoma.

According to one report, SQ 832 could increase consumer costs by up to $783 million in its initial phase, and consumers’ costs would continue to climb in subsequent years.

“The most recent economic data show Oklahoma’s economy is growing faster than the national average,” the lawmakers wrote. “That means more jobs and better-paying jobs. In addition, Oklahoma’s cost of living is about 15% below the national average. That is why so many people are moving here. This is a great place to live.”

Those signing the letter included House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, as well as the following state representatives and state senators:

Rep. Eddy Dempsey
Rep. Jim Olsen
Rep. Josh West
Rep. Rusty Cornwell
Rep. Steve Bashore
Rep. Mark Lepak
Rep. John Kane
Rep. Mark Chapman
Rep. Neil Hays
Rep. Chris Sneed
Rep. Tim Turner
Rep. Scott Fetgatter
Rep. David Smith
Rep. Jim Grego
Rep. Justin Humphrey
Rep. Jonathan Wilk
Rep. Cody Maynard
Rep. Ryan Eaves
Rep. Derrick Hildebrant
Rep. Chris Banning
Rep. Ronny Johns
Rep. Dell Kerbs
Rep. Danny Sterling
Rep. Danny Williams
Rep. Mark Lawson
Rep. Collin Duel
Rep. Jim Shaw
Rep. Molly Jenkins
Rep. Dillon Travis
Rep. John George
Rep. John Pfeiffer
Rep. Erick Harris
Rep. Chad Caldwell
Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader
Rep. Cynthia Roe
Rep. Jay Steagall
Rep. Brian Hill
Rep. Tammy Townley
Rep. Josh Cantrell
Rep. Stacy Jo Adams
Rep. Brad Boles
Rep. Gerrid Kendrix
Rep. Jason Blair
Rep. Kevin West
Rep. Nick Archer
Rep. Dick Lowe
Rep. Anthony Moore
Rep. Carl Newton
Rep. Mike Dobrinski
Rep. Mike Kelley
Rep. Kenton Patzkowsky
Rep. Daniel Pae
Rep. Trey Caldwell
Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
Rep. Clay Staires
Rep. Rob Hall
Rep. Mike Lay
Rep. Mark Tedford
Rep. Kevin Norwood
Rep. T.J. Marti
Rep. Ross Ford
Rep. Stan May
Rep. Mike Osburn
Rep. Nicole Miller
Rep. Eric Roberts
Rep. Tammy West
Rep. David Hardin
Rep. Emily Gise
Rep. Max Wolfley
Rep. Preston Stinson
Rep. Gabe Woolley
Rep. Marilyn Stark
Rep. Robert Manger
Sen. Micheal Bergstrom
Sen. Ally Seifried
Sen. Julie McIntosh
Sen. Tom Woods
Sen. George Burns
Sen. David Bullard
Sen. Warren Hamilton
Sen. Bryan Logan
Sen. Avery Frix
Sen. Bill Coleman
Sen. Todd Gollihare
Sen. Jonathan Wingard
Sen. Jerry Alvord
Sen. Lisa Standridge
Sen. Shane Jett
Sen. Jack Stewart
Sen. Roland Pederson
Sen. Chuck Hall
Sen. Randy Grellner
Sen. Kristen Thompson
Sen. Darrell Weaver
Sen. Brian Guthrie
Sen. Casey Murdock
Sen. Grant Green
Sen. Julie Daniels
Sen. Spencer Kern
Sen. Dusty Deevers
Sen. Christi Gillespie
Sen. Dana Prieto
Sen. John Haste
Sen. Aaron Reinhardt
Sen. Brent Howard
Sen. Dave Rader
Sen. Adam Pugh
Sen. Brenda Stanley
Sen. Kendal Sacchieri
Sen. Paul Rosino
Sen. Kelly Hines

Ray Carter

Director, Center for Independent Journalism

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