Special interest groups and politically involved nonprofits are spending millions of dollars to influence Oklahoma voters on State Question 832, which seeks to incrementally raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029.
Since April 1, a mix of state question and political action committees have reported spending $4.17 million on state question communications. The number could tick up ahead of the June 16 election.
More than half of the spending has come from People for Opportunity, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that opposes the initiative petition. The group, which has strong ties to the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, also spent big on advertisements seeking to oust Democrat-appointed Supreme Court justices in 2024.
When pressed by KFOR reporter Spencer Humphrey last month, People for Opportunity spokesman Dave Bond declined to answer questions about the organization’s funders.
The National Federation of Independent Businesses, a 501(c)(6) organization that advocates for small business owners, has also spent money on advertising against State Question 832.
In its pre-primary report, Yes on 832-Raise the Wage Oklahoma reported $1.47 million in expenditures from April 1 to June 1. The state question committee’s top donors include Tulsa-based philanthropist Lynn Schusterman and the Tulsa Community Foundation.
No formal state question committee, which is required to report donors to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, has formed to oppose State Question 832.
State Question 832 will be the sole issue on the June 16 ballot that all Oklahoma voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote on. The issue qualified for the ballot via Oklahoma’s initiative petition process in 2024.
For more information on the ballot initiative, check out Oklahoma Watch’s detailed guide on the issue. To confirm your polling place and view a sample ballot, visit the OK Voter Portal.
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