State Question 832 (SQ 832):
Oklahoma Minimum Wage Increase
State Question 832 is a proposed amendment to the Oklahoma Minimum Wage Act that seeks to
separate Oklahoma’s minimum wage from the federal rate and establish a new, automatic mechanism for future wage increases. It will appear on the June 2026 primary ballot for voter consideration.
If approved, SQ 832 would:
• Increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $12.00 in 2027,
• $13.50 in 2028,
• $15.00 in 2029,
Beginning in 2030, the minimum wage would automatically increase each year based on the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W).
The CPI Escalator: The Real Impact
If SQ 832 passes, with its built-in CPI escalator, we’re not just voting for a raise to $15/hour by 2029.
We’re voting for an automatic, open-ended wage increase mechanism that uses the CPI-W, which
reflects the cost of living in high-cost urban areas such as New York, San Francisco, and Chicago,
not Oklahoma.
Using historical CPI-W growth data:
• If CPI-W grows at the 5-year average, Oklahoma’s minimum wage would reach $27.56/hour
within 15 years.
• At the 3-year average, it could hit $35.61/hour — a 137% increase over the $15 target.
And there’s no cap in the State Question. No safeguard. No way to pause or adjust in the event of a
recession, downturn, or regional hardship.
Implications for Oklahoma
In short:
SQ 832 is not a one-time adjustment, it’s a permanent, inflation-driven mechanism that outsources
Oklahoma’s wage policy to federal economic trends that don’t match our state’s reality.
separate Oklahoma’s minimum wage from the federal rate and establish a new, automatic mechanism for future wage increases. It will appear on the June 2026 primary ballot for voter consideration.
If approved, SQ 832 would:
• Increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $12.00 in 2027,
• $13.50 in 2028,
• $15.00 in 2029,
Beginning in 2030, the minimum wage would automatically increase each year based on the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W).
The CPI Escalator: The Real Impact
If SQ 832 passes, with its built-in CPI escalator, we’re not just voting for a raise to $15/hour by 2029.
We’re voting for an automatic, open-ended wage increase mechanism that uses the CPI-W, which
reflects the cost of living in high-cost urban areas such as New York, San Francisco, and Chicago,
not Oklahoma.
Using historical CPI-W growth data:
• If CPI-W grows at the 5-year average, Oklahoma’s minimum wage would reach $27.56/hour
within 15 years.
• At the 3-year average, it could hit $35.61/hour — a 137% increase over the $15 target.
And there’s no cap in the State Question. No safeguard. No way to pause or adjust in the event of a
recession, downturn, or regional hardship.
Implications for Oklahoma
- Oklahoma already has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S., 40% below cities driving theCPI-W.
- 98.6% of Oklahoma workers already earn above the current $7.25/hour rate.
- Only 1.1% of all workers nationwide earn minimum wage, and most are young, entry-level employees who move up quickly.
- Automatic increases would force businesses to raise prices, reduce hours, and cut jobs especially in hospitality, retail, and agriculture.
In short:
SQ 832 is not a one-time adjustment, it’s a permanent, inflation-driven mechanism that outsources
Oklahoma’s wage policy to federal economic trends that don’t match our state’s reality.
