- Oklahoma voters rejected $15 minimum wage measure.
- About 55 percent oppose SQ 832; less than 45 percent support it.
- AAHOA opposed the increase, citing threat to small businesses.
OKLAHOMA VOTERS REJECTED a measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 in Tuesday’s primary election by fewer than 80,000 votes. Business associations, including AAHOA, praised the result, citing challenges wage mandates pose for small businesses.
State Question 832 would have raised Oklahoma’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2029 and then increased it annually based on cost-of-living changes using the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, according to Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. This would have linked the wage to cost-of-living levels in large cities such as New York City and San Francisco, where costs exceed those in much of Oklahoma, particularly rural areas.
“Tonight, voters chose to protect Oklahoma’s economic momentum and one of our greatest competitive advantages: affordability,” said Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber of Oklahoma, which opposed SQ 832, according to OCPA. “The reality is wages in Oklahoma are already being driven up by a strong labor market not government mandates. Oklahoma businesses are competing for talent, investing in their people, and helping move our state forward.”
Warmington said Oklahomans sent a message that the state can grow its economy, create opportunities, and keep costs down without mandates that make it harder for businesses to hire and grow.
About 55 percent of voters opposed SQ 832, while less than 45 percent supported it, marking a notable defeat, OCPA reported.
"AAHOA congratulates Oklahoma voters for recognizing the challenges that significant wage mandates can create for small business owners," said Rahul Patel, AAHOA chairman. "Hotel owners support competitive wages and work hard every day to attract and retain employees, but compensation decisions are best made by employers based on local market conditions, not by one-size-fits-all government mandates. This vote helps preserve flexibility for Oklahoma businesses while protecting jobs and opportunities for workers."
With voters rejecting the measure, employers across the state will avoid a mandated wage increase that many small business owners said would raise operating costs and make it harder to hire, invest and grow, the association said.
"Labor is one of the largest expenses for hotel owners, often accounting for 30 percent to 40 percent of a property's operating costs," said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA President & CEO. "When the government mandates a dramatic increase in labor costs, those increases don't happen in a vacuum. They affect hiring decisions, property improvements, guest pricing and long-term investment. Oklahoma voters recognized that small businesses need flexibility to respond to local market conditions, not automatic increases that continue year after year regardless of economic circumstances."
Data show SQ 832 would have raised wages faster than inflation in Oklahoma, OCPA reported. It would have set the minimum wage at $15 in 2029. An analysis by the Oklahoma chamber and Oklahoma Farm Bureau found it would have reached $35.61 per hour and continued increasing thereafter.
AAHOA said that it will remain committed to advocating for policies that support entrepreneurship, strengthen local economies and allow hotel owners to create jobs and serve travelers nationwide.
In May, the American Hotel and Lodging Association welcomed the City of Los Angeles decision to delay a $30 an hour minimum wage raise for hotel workers in the city from 2028 to 2030. Negotiations continue over implementation of the city’s Citywide Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance.
