A socialist organization is among the entities promoting State Question 832, which would mandate rapid increases in Oklahoma’s minimum wage based on the cost of living in places like New York City and San Francisco.

State Question 832 would require continual increases in Oklahoma’s minimum wage based on increases in the cost of living in the nation’s 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 mandate rapid increases in wages far above market rates in Oklahoma, based on the cost of living in the nation’s largest urban centers, allowing government officials in those locations to indirectly dictate wage laws in Oklahoma.

SQ 832’s supporters include the Oklahoma City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The socialist group has repeatedly touted SQ 832 on its website and social-media pages.

For example, on Nov. 26, 2025, the Oklahoma City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America posted, “Come canvass with us! Help us spread the word about raising the minimum wage in Oklahoma with our Wage Up OK campaign. We want to make sure everyone knows to vote YES to State Question 832 next June. These group photos are from some of the canvasses we’ve done over the last couple of months.”

The Oklahoma City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America maintains a website devoted to SQ 832, which states that the ballot proposal will steadily raise the official minimum wage year after year and eliminate “some exemptions to the minimum wage, including those for part-time employees, students, farm and feed store workers, and domestic service workers.”

The group’s fliers on SQ 832 are printed in both English and Spanish. The flier stresses that the state question will “end unfair wage exemptions,” stating, “Part-time, student, farm & feedstore, and domestic workers all deserve a full living wage.”

The website for the Oklahoma City chapter links to the national organization’s website, which declares, “The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States.”

“As we are unlikely to see an immediate end to capitalism tomorrow, DSA fights for reforms today that will weaken the power of corporations and increase the power of working people,” the national organization declares on its website.

The Democratic Socialists of America website also states, “We are socialists because we reject an international economic order sustained by private profit, alienated labor, race and gender discrimination, environmental destruction, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo.

“We are socialists because we share a vision of a humane international social order based both on democratic planning and market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships,” the statement continues.

Socialists are not the only atypical entities apparently involved with SQ 832.

Another group that has contributed to the pro-SQ 832 campaign has been accused of funneling money from a left-wing Swiss billionaire into ballot campaigns in Nebraska.

A report from the National Federation of Independent Business found that the minimum-wage increase proposed in SQ 832 would significantly harm Oklahoma’s economy. Over a 10-year period, the report estimated that 16,112 jobs would be lost, including 9,651 jobs at small businesses. The total negative economic impact is projected at $697 million, with $297 million of that loss borne by small businesses.

[Photo Credit: David Shankbone]