06/04/2026
On Tuesday, June 16, Oklahoma voters will have the opportunity to vote on State Question 832 which raises the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $12 in 2027, then up to $15 by 2029, with cost-of-living increases after that. This is essential because the wealth gap between those in poverty in Oklahoma is not closing, but actually that gap is widening.
OKPolicy.org says that "in 2023, 13.1% of Oklahomans-over 500,000 people-do not have enough resources to meet their basic needs," including things like food, shelter, utilities and clothing. Disability and q***rness often intersect resulting in discrimination and lack of opportunity to get out of poverty. Many disabled people are dependent on family or someone else to help them meet these basic needs.
"Households with two workers and no dependents have a poverty rate of almost 2 percent. While households with one worker and four dependents have a poverty rate of closer to 20 percent"
"Black, Native American, Hispanic, and multiracial Oklahomans are more likely to live in poverty, with Black Oklahomans facing rates nearly twice that of their white counterparts."
Oklahoma last raised its minimum wage in 2009. A Yes vote changes that for an estimated 150,000 workers across the state.
This vote happens in person at the ballot box on Tuesday, June 16. Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you vote at your assigned polling place — find it through the Oklahoma Voter Portal at oklahoma.gov/elections. If June 16 is hard for you, early in-person voting runs June 11, 12, and 13.
GET INVOLVED!
Join the virtual phone bank. Sign up here: https://www.mobilize.us/raisethewageoklahoma/event/962021/
Come to Community Walks & Talks, Saturday, June 13, hosted by the Terence Crutcher Foundation. Free breakfast, training, and a morning of organizing together. RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/CWCT260613
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏴☠️
(thanks to FREE - Forum For Real Economic Emancipation for sending out this in an email this week)
quoted text sourced from: https://okpolicy.org/poverty-in-oklahoma/
