Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s minimum wage will stay at $7.25 as voters reject increase
It’s not happening. Oklahomans said no to increasing the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2029.
More than 55% of voters, or about 348,000 people, voted against approving State Question 832, according to unofficial results from the Oklahoma State Election Board.
Had it passed, the minimum wage would have gradually increased over the next three years to $12 in 2027, $13.50 in 2028 and $15 in 2029. Once it reached $15 an hour, all new increases would have been based on the cost of living, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor Consumer Price Index data.
For now, it will remain at $7.25 — where it has stayed since Oklahoma last increased it in 2009.
In the leadup to the vote, Oklahomans shared mixed views on whether an increase to the minimum wage would harm small businesses or if the pay raise was long overdue for low-wage jobs.
Prominent figures like Mayor Monroe Nichols voiced support for the wage increase while business groups like the Tulsa Regional Chamber expressed concerns. Following the vote, the chamber said it agreed with Oklahomans that the initiative was not “the best solution.”
“The inclusion of automatic annual increases tied to national inflation metrics rather than Oklahoma’s unique economic conditions did not reflect wage policy with a balanced approach,” the chamber wrote in a statement Tuesday night.
The chamber will continue to work with state lawmakers to support legislation that will promote long-term economic growth, job creation and business competitiveness.
Around 350,000 Oklahomans make less than $15, Arindrajit Dube, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, previously told The Oklahoma Eagle and Tulsa Flyer. Most businesses that pay $15 or less are either in the retail or restaurant industries.
Dube previously pushed back on the idea that wage increases would lead to higher prices. He pointed to examples of states that recently passed similar minimum wage increases like Nebraska, Florida and Arizona, which have not had noticeable price hikes.
John Croisant, the Democratic nominee for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, shared similar thoughts at the Tulsa County Democratic Party’s election night watch party.
“Other red states, even Missouri and Florida, have implemented the minimum wage increase — they haven’t had prices go up,” Croisant said inside NEFF Brewing. “We’re 50th in education, we’re 48th in health care, we’re 46th in (a) living wage. We’re not really doing anything to help support (residents.)”
The proposal was opposed by Tulsa County GOP leadership, who told News on 6 it had the potential to hurt small businesses.
For more Election Day results from the Tulsa Flyer and Oklahoma Eagle, click here.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.