Nearly $3.9 million has been spent in the final stretch of the battle over State Question 832, with groups opposing the minimum wage increase slightly outspending supporters ahead of the June 16 vote.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Opponents of State Question 832 have outspent supporters in the campaign’s final stretch, holding a slight financial advantage as Oklahoma voters prepare to decide whether to raise the state’s minimum wage.
Campaign finance reports filed this week show nearly $3.9 million has been spent since April 1 by groups on both sides of the ballot measure. State Question 832 would gradually increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour by 2029 and tie future increases to a cost-of-living formula if approved by voters on June 16.
According to spending figures first reported by The Oklahoman, groups opposing the proposal accounted for nearly $2.1 million in expenditures during the period, compared with roughly $1.8 million spent by supporters.
The spending disparity highlights the increasingly expensive battle over a high-profile question on Oklahoma’s primary election ballot.
Supporters argue the measure would provide a long-overdue pay increase for low-wage workers struggling with rising costs for housing, food and other necessities. Opponents contend the proposal would increase labor costs for employers, potentially leading to job losses, higher prices and reduced business investment.
Much of the campaign spending has gone toward television advertising, digital outreach, voter contact efforts and grassroots organizing.
The largest spending effort opposing the measure came from People For Opportunity, which reported nearly $1.9 million in expenditures since April 1. Additional opposition spending came from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, the National Federation of Independent Business and the Job Creators Education Fund.
NFIB Oklahoma State Director Jerrod Shouse said the organization opposes the proposal because future wage increases would be tied to inflation.
“State Question 832 is not a one-time wage increase, but an uncapped wage hike that is tied to CPI, creating annual unpredictable increases for our small businesses,” Shouse said in a statement.
On the other side, the Yes on SQ 832 campaign and Raise the Wage Oklahoma reported more than $1.8 million in spending, with much of the money devoted to media and digital advertising.
Campaign spokeswoman Amber England said supporters view the proposal as a response to rising living costs facing working families.
“As this campaign reaches its final days, we have faced millions of dollars in opposition spending from greedy corporate interests determined to protect a system that means Oklahomans are stuck earning poverty-level wages,” England said in a statement.
The measure will be decided by voters statewide on June 16.
