A state question to raise Oklahoma's minimum wage failed on Tuesday. About 55% of voters rejected the measure.
State Question 832 asked voters whether Oklahoma's minimum wage should be decoupled from the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, bringing it to $15 by 2029. The last time the national number increased was in 2009.
"We wanted to win really, really bad," said Amber England, the spokesperson and senior advisor for the initiative. "But what we know is that the election result tonight is not indicative of the will of Oklahoma people, right? This was put on a ballot designed for us to fail."
State Chamber President and CEO Chad Warmington wrote in a Tuesday evening press release that his organization "applauds" voters' decision to reject the wage increase. The business policy group has led advocacy against the State Question since its proposal in 2023.
"Oklahomans sent a clear message: we can grow our economy, create opportunities, and keep life affordable without one-size-fits-all mandates that make it harder for businesses to hire and grow," Warmington wrote.
The question would have started wage increases in 2027, raising the wage to $12. Then, it would have risen by $1.50 each year through 2029. In 2030 and beyond, the state minimum wage would have been tied to the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) to increase in line with the cost of living.
The organizers of the question began working on a proposition in 2023 and collected signatures in 2024. After the petition was verified as meeting the signature threshold, advocates hoped it would be placed on the November 2024 ballot.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has the authority to decide when ballot measures go to the ballot, instead decided to put it on the June 2026 ballot, nearly two years after the measure's intended election date. Stitt called the move a cost-saving measure, saying he wanted to avoid paying nearly $2 million for a statewide special election. Advocates, however, pointed out that Stitt had previously called a special election in March 2023 for a state question on legalizing recreational marijuana.
Still, England said the conversation about paying Oklahomans a living wage is not over, and neither is the fight to make it happen."And I think ultimately we will prevail because you can't put this conversation back in a box," she said. "Just because they put us on a ballot designed for us to fail does not mean we're going to stop."
Because of the gap between when the measure was drafted and when it will be voted on, the ballot language may have confused some voters. The question asked about increasing the minimum wage to $9 in 2025, and adding $1.50 each year after, even though 2025 is over and the minimum wage is still $7.25. But if the proposal were approved, state policy would have jumped into the middle of that schedule, starting with increasing the wage to $12 once 2027 begins.
Supporters of the question argued that too much time has passed without a wage increase, and Oklahoma workers in essential jobs are struggling. Opponents said that most Oklahoma jobs already pay above the minimum wage, and that a wage increase could lead to job losses as employers look to cut costs.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
