By Charlie Meadows

If Oklahomans pass State Question 832 we will start a three year process to raise our minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. We won’t experience any affect for the first two years, as entry level jobs in Oklahoma already start around the $10 to $12 dollar range. But, after the third year, the minimum wage will rapidly increase each year based on cost of living increases in large cities such as New York and San Francisco, as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners. Wages in leftist cities, which are run by Socialists rather than the conservatives found here, will see minimum wages rise much faster than in Oklahoma, thus forcing our wages up here. Vote NO or we will foolishly harm our citizens, businesses and economy.

Government controlled minimum wage increases that are above what the free market sets will always increase costs for everything we have to buy. After three years – when it reaches $15 an hour and the automatic increases go into effect – in just a decade,Oklahoma’s minimum wage could be $30 per hour or more. Should that happen, everything we buy will cost far more than we could ever imagine.

Minimum wages are meant for young people just learning how to be productive – so that later they can become more valuable to employers who will be willing to pay more based upon greater productivity, improved skills, experience and good work habits. Minimum wages are not intended to be enough to raise a family, or for young people to keep for a lengthy period of time.

The inflationary effect of SQ 832 will destroy affordability and be VERY harmful to those who are retired or on fixed incomes. While government controlled increases put more into the pockets of those working entry level jobs, those workers are NO better off as everything they have to buy will cost far more.

Over time many people working entry level jobs will lose their jobs. When California raised their minimum wage for restaurant workers to $20 an hour, many small businesses closed their doors and an estimated 2 million entry level workers lost their jobs. Businesses will move to automate production more and more, thus eliminating jobs of all types.

SQ 832 supporters include The Democratic Socialists of America’s Oklahoma City Chapter. The national organization maintains a website devoted to SQ 832, where they urge people to join their “Wage Up OK” campaign. The group stresses, that SQ 832 will eliminate some exemptions to our current minimum wage law, including those for part-time employees, students, farm workers and domestic service workers. If SQ 832 passes, virtually all of those jobs will disappear. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) estimates that passage of SQ 832 would cause Oklahoma to lose over 16,000 minimum wage jobs over a 10 year period of time.

Don’t be seduced or deceived into voting for SQ 832. It is time to stop being swayed by out of state socialist organizations – financed by billionaires – that don’t have Oklahoma’s or America’s best interest as their goals! VOTE NO JUNE 16TH!

Much of the above information was provided by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), an Oklahoma conservative think-tank which is trying to alert Oklahomans to the dangers posed by the passage of SQ 832.

I want to take this space to provide an update on the new podcast that I and two other residents in Logan County have started called the ABCs of Politics and Culture. In the way of an explanation, Aiya Kelley is the A, Bob Donohoo is the B, and Charlie Meadows is the C. The case could easily be made that Logan County is the most conservative county in the state, and you can hear our perspective on issues, such as SQ 832. New hour long programs are available twice each week on most platforms where you get your podcasts.