Andrea Eger
Tulsa World Staff Writer
A state question seeking to raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage just got a summer 2026 election date — and organizers are questioning the legality of the nearly two-year delay.
Gov. Kevin Stitt this week issued a proclamation calling for voters to decide State Question 832 during a special election on June 16, 2026.
If approved, most employers in the state would have to pay employees at least $12 per hour beginning in January 2027. It would then be increased to $13.50 per hour in 2028 and to $15 beginning in 2029.
Further increases would be linked to the cost of living as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index.
Amber England, an organizer at Raise the Wage Oklahoma, said the group is looking whether they have any recourse.
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“I’m not shocked that the governor is going to make working Oklahomans wait this long to be able to decide this issue for themselves,” England said. “This reeks of politics as usual and I’m sure this deal was cut with his rich buddies at the State Chamber on a golf course. We’re talking about 320,000 people who will be impacted by this law who are just trying to figure out how to put gas in their car, how to afford groceries, how to afford rent.”
After petitions were circulated earlier this year proposing a vote on SQ 832, the Office of the Secretary of State validated more than 157,000 signatures of registered voters — more than twice the number needed legally to justify a vote.
The State Chamber of Oklahoma has taken a stand against raising the minimum wage, which is the same as the current minimum mandated by the federal government and hasn’t been increased since 2009, and has vowed to continue to oppose passage of the state question leading up to the vote.
England said she doesn’t believe Stitt, at the very least, is complying with the spirit of Oklahoma’s Initiative and Referendum Petition process, which is defined in Title 34 of the Oklahoma Statutes and Article 5 and 24 of the Oklahoma Constitution.
It states: “Whenever any measure shall be initiated by the people in the manner provided by law, or whenever the referendum shall be demanded against any measure passed by the Legislature, same shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular election; provided, the Governor shall have power, in his or her discretion, to call a special election to vote upon such questions, or to designate the mandatory primary election as a special election for such purpose.”
The June 2026 election date Stitt chose coincides with the next gubernatorial primary election.
The Tulsa World requested an explanation for the delay from Gov. Stitt’s office and received this response: “Consistent with state law, Secretary (of State Josh) Cockroft and the State Election Board recommended the next possible statewide ballot, which would be the June 2026 statewide primary. This choice saves taxpayers over $1.8 million and prevents the need for the Election Board to request supplemental funding from the Legislature to arrange a standalone statewide election.”
Misha Mohr, spokeswoman for the State Election Board, told the Tulsa World she was unable to confirm or deny whether the board made such a recommendation because Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax is out of the office currently.
