Oklahoma Minimum Wage Increase Initiative (2024)
| Oklahoma Minimum Wage Increase Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Minimum wage | |
| Status Pending official review | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Oklahoma Minimum Wage Increase Initiative may appear on the ballot in Oklahoma as an initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
The ballot measure would increase the state minimum wage to $9 per hour in 2025, $10.50 per hour in 2026, $12 per hour in 2027, $13.50 per hour in 2028, and $15 per hour in 2029.[1]
Text of measure
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast for governor in the previous gubernatorial election. Signatures must be submitted 90 days after the initiative is cleared for circulation by the secretary of state. Measures are generally placed on the next general election ballot following signature verification, but the governor may call a special election or place the measure on the primary ballot. If petitioners are targeting a specific election, the secretary of state recommends that signatures be submitted eight months prior to the election. For a measure to appear on the ballot, signatures must be submitted long enough in advance for the governor to issue an election proclamation, which must be issued and certified to the State Election Board at least 70 days prior to an election.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2024 ballot:
- Signatures: 92,263 valid signatures
- Deadline: Each initiative has its own deadline that is 90 days after it was approved to circulate.
The secretary of state verifies signatures and submits the totals and the vote totals that determine the requirement to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which makes the final determination of sufficiency.
Details about this initiative
- The initiative was filed on October 27, 2023.[1]
Lawsuit
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Whether the initiative unconstitutionally delegates legislative power to federal officials | |
| Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
| Plaintiff(s): The Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and Oklahoma Farm Bureau | Defendant(s): State elections officials and initiative proponents |
Source: Oklahoma Farm Bureau
On November 20, 2023, the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and Oklahoma Farm Bureau filed a lawsuit in the Oklahoma Supreme Court seeking to disqualify the initiative, alleging that it unconstitutionally delegates legislative powers to federal officials. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s vice president of public policy, Steve Thompson, said, "Oklahoma Farm Bureau members understand the importance of fair compensation for honest work as farmers and ranchers rely on dependable, hardworking individuals to ensure their agricultural operations run smoothly and efficiently. State Question 832 seeks to raise minimum compensation through national economic projections that are unrepresentative of Oklahoma’s economy, and these burdensome government mandates will only intensify the inflationary pressures Oklahomans are already facing."[2]
In Oklahoma, initiatives cannot begin circulation until the Secretary of State sets the date for circulation to begin, which may not be more than 30 days after all protests and appeals have been resolved.[3]
See also
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External links
Footnotes
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