Weekly Wonk: Fact sheet for State Question 832 | Oklahoma doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a priority problem | Voting matters: Who decides if you don’t? | More

What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know.

SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2026 Subscribe // View latest headlines Fact sheet for State Question 832: Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum wage    State Question 832 would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029, then starting in 2030, it would update annually based on increases to the cost of living. As written, SQ 832 would have raised the minimum wage to $9 in 2025, then gradually increased it by $1.50 each year until it reached a total of $15 in 2029. However, due to the timing of the vote, the first increase would be to $12 an hour in order to align with the schedule proposed in the ballot measure. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / OK Policy] Download a PDF of this fact sheet Read OK Policy’s information and resources about SQ 832 Oklahoma doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a priority problem (Commentary)   For years, the dominant narrative at the Capitol has been that we simply can’t afford to fully fund the things that make communities work — public schools, infrastructure, basic health coverage. We’re told the budget is tight. That tradeoffs are unavoidable. That there just isn’t enough to go around. But that framing falls apart the moment you look at what the state consistently finds money for because Oklahoma subsidizes things all the time. [Kati Malicoate / OK Policy] Managed care and Medicaid expansion shape Oklahoma’s health policy debate (Capitol Update)   Oklahoma’s approximately $3 billion Medicaid (SoonerCare) managed care program is likely to remain a prominent public policy and political issue for the foreseeable future. Known as SoonerSelect, it covers hospital and physician services as well as dental care, mental health care, and substance use treatment for nearly 600,000 low-income individuals and families. Recently, Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Governor Kevin Stitt have engaged in back-and-forth sparring about SoonerSelect. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update] Policy Matters: Voting matters: Who decides if you don’t?   Oklahoma voters say they want change — stronger public schools, safer communities, affordable health care, better roads, and an economy where hard work pays the bills. But change does not happen just because people are frustrated. It happens when people vote. Right now, too many Oklahomans are sitting on the sidelines. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] NEW! OK Policy is now hiring for FOUR positions! Administrative and Office Coordinator Donor Stewardship & Events Coordinator Research & Data Analyst (Hiring For Two Positions) Deadline to apply for all positions is Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Learn More & Apply We encourage folks to please forward this email to someone you know who may be in the market for a new job opportunity. Oklahoma to vote on minimum wage increase in June: Oklahomans will go to the polls on June 16 to decide if the state’s minimum wage should increase for the first time since 2009. The measure has intensified a decades-old debate between businesses and advocacy groups warning of economic disruption and workforce advocates who say wages have stagnated while costs have continued to soar. [The Oklahoman] From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase — Information and Resources "It’s more than just voting in your general election. It’s making sure that you are part of the decision-making process that impacts our daily lives."   - Tamya Cox-Touré, executive director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, speaking about civic participation and voter turnout in Oklahoma. She explained that Oklahoma’s consistently low voter turnout is driven in part by voter apathy and barriers that make voting less accessible, but also emphasized that civic engagement should extend beyond the ballot box. [The Oklahoma Eagle] State Question   State Questions are measures to change Oklahoma laws or the state constitution that appear on the ballot for all voters. They can be added to the ballot by the Legislature (legislative referendum) or by citizens (initiative petition).   Most State Questions are voted on during November general elections, but initiative petitions can be placed on the ballot at the time of primary elections or a special election.   [Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here] Editorial: Oklahoma (and America) need you to be voters   On July Fourth we will have the opportunity to celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary. It will be an opportune point at which to express pride in the good things we've accomplished as a country over the past two and a half centuries and to reaffirm our determination to continue making the USA an even better place to live.   But we don't need to wait. Some of us can start the improvement process even sooner by participating in the Oklahoma's primary election on June 16.   A good example is the citizens' initiative to raise the minimum wage, State Question 832, that is on the June ballot. All registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote on this measure. The governor, Republican legislative leaders, the State Chamber of Oklahoma and other powerful voices are against this increase. They say it's not needed. But thanks to the citizens’ initiative process set forth in the Oklahoma Constitution, the people will have the final say — those who vote.   When voter turnout is low in primary elections, it makes it easier for special interests to get their way. But that doesn't have to be the case.   Let's start the Fourth of July celebration early this anniversary year by turning out in record numbers to vote for the candidates we can count on to listen to us and act on our behalf.   [The Oklahoman Editorial Board] 16 - Number of states, including Nevada, South Dakota, and Montana, with state minimum wages that are indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI measures how the prices of everyday goods and services change over time. [Economic Policy Institute]   27% - The share of people experiencing homelessness in Tulsa who said a lack of affordable housing was the primary cause of their homelessness, making it the most commonly reported factor. [Housing Solutions]   53% - The share of eligible Oklahoma voters who turned out for the 2024 general election, giving the state the second-lowest voter turnout rate in the nation behind only Hawaii. Despite presidential elections typically driving higher participation, Oklahoma has faced consistently low voter turnout for years. [UF Election Lab]   -14% - The percentage change in SNAP participants in Oklahoma between February 2025 and February 2026. H.R. 1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that passed during that period, included deep cuts to federal funding for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and expanded work requirements. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] More than 350,000 Oklahoma workers will get a raise if voters approve a $15 minimum wage this summer: This June, Oklahoma voters will have the opportunity to pass a historic minimum wage ballot initiative that would boost workers’ wages at a time when many are struggling with growing affordability challenges. State Question (SQ) 832 proposes gradually increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 an hour by 2029. Our analysis finds that this policy would raise wages for 357,700 Oklahoma workers—or roughly one-fifth (20.3%) of the state’s wage-earning workforce—by more than $783 million overall. This total includes both workers who would directly and indirectly see wage increases from the policy. On average, affected workers would gain $2,322 in annual pay if they worked full time and year-round. [Economic Policy Institute]   Policymakers Can Solve Homelessness by Scaling Up Rental Assistance and Supportive Services: Housing is a basic human need, but stable housing is out of reach or hard to keep for far too many people. This is a policy choice, not an economic inevitability. Evidence shows that we can solve homelessness if we address its primary driver: the gap between incomes and rent. Rental assistance, which closes that gap, has been proven highly effective at both rehousing people experiencing homelessness and preventing future homelessness. Access to the supportive services people need to find and keep housing — such as help navigating the housing market, obtaining health care, and securing sufficient income to afford housing — is also critical. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]   Increasing Voter Participation in America: America can build an election system based on pro-voter policies and practices that drive participation by all eligible voters. To do so, first, barriers to registering to vote and to voting must be eliminated, and reforms must be implemented in order to enable all eligible Americans to cast a ballot that will be securely counted. Implementing automatic voter registration (AVR) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia could result in more than 22 million newly registered voters in just the first year of implementation. In addition, eliminating ex-offender disenfranchisement laws would bring more than 6 million new voters into the electorate. At the same time, civic engagement tools must be designed to encourage voting, particularly for those who have become alienated from the democratic process and do not feel heard by their elected leaders or represented in government. [Center for American Progress]   Sharp Drop in Number of Children Receiving SNAP Food Assistance Under New Federal Law: The new law’s cost shift has led states to take steps that are making it harder for eligible people to receive SNAP, including families with children. Losing SNAP also makes it harder for low-income children to qualify for other food assistance, such as WIC and free school meals — jeopardizing the short- and long-term health, education, and economic benefits of nutrition programs for our children and society. While cutting SNAP eligibility for children was not a stated target of H.R. 1’s proponents, the cost shift and resulting access barriers are resulting in serious losses of food assistance for low-income children. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] Support Our Work with a Donation What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know.   Click here to subscribe to In The Know. Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org   Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive emails from us, please unsubscribe.