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A recent filing has been made, presenting a petition aimed at raising the minimum wage in Oklahoma. Moreover, the documents, including the petition itself, a suggested ballot title, and a summary, were forwarded to Oklahoma Secretary of State Josh Cockroft. 

Further, the crux of the petition centers on a proposal to incrementally increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by the year 2029.

Notably, the current minimum wage in Oklahoma is $7.25 per hour, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2008. 

Oklahoma Minimum Wage
Laura Pierre protests in support of a minimum wage increase in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A new report found Oklahoma ranks among the worst states for workers. Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Only $942 a month is earned after a month of 40 hour work weeks

Working full-time, 40 hours a week or 130 hours a month at the current minimum wage allows Oklahoma’s minimum wage employees to take home just over $942 a month.

Moreover, the average rent of a one bedroom apartment in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is $925 for 820 square feet.

Minimum wage proposal:

According to the outlined plan, employers would face an initial obligation of paying $10.50 per hour starting in 2026, followed by increases to $12 per hour in 2027 and $13.50 per hour in 2028.

Further, the proposition also puts forth the intention to eliminate several exemptions currently present in the Oklahoma Minimum Wage Act (OMWA).

A key aspect of the proposition delineates that, commencing in 2030, the minimum wage would undergo annual adjustments in accordance with the fluctuations in the cost of living.

The benchmark for determining the cost of living would be the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, as designated by the US Department of Labor.

Read the full petition here.