OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (June 5, 2026) – Appearing on the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs’ podcast “Weighing In,” NFIB State Director Jerrod Shouse discusses small business owners’ opposition to State Question 832. During the interview, Shouse describes the numerous negative ripple effects State Question 832 will have on the state’s economy, consumers, workers, and Main Street employers.

CLICK HERE for the full conversation. CLICK HERE to view the NFIB Research Center’s study on State Question 832’s effect on Oklahoma’s economy. Excerpts of the interview are below:

Small businesses operate on infamously thin margins. State Question 832 is a permanent, uncapped mandate that will harm Main Street Oklahomans with unpredictable increases to the minimum wage.

“The mom-and-pop shops, whether they’ve got two employees or 20, often operate on small margins and are just trying to do their best,” Shouse said. “That is why we feel like State Question 832 is so dangerous. The whole paradigm is shifted upwards. Now the minimum is $15, and it’s going to continue to go up according to the CPI [Consumer Price Index], it just changes everything for small businesses. Even if you’re paying above the minimum wage now, you’re maybe going to need to be paying above what the new minimum wage will be.”

If State Question 832 passes, small business owners will have to make tough choices: cut jobs, scale back hours, or raise their prices on consumers.

“Small business owners, their small business is their baby,” Shouse said. “They love it. They nurture it, they grow it. They want to have more. These are folks who pour their heart and soul into this thing that they’ve created. And so how will this affect them? It’s kind of new headaches. It’s like, okay, well, where’s the money going to come from? Am I going to raise rates? Are we going to have to charge more to the customers, to pass it along, to be able to pay our employees so this will happen?”

Rural small business owners are especially vulnerable to State Question 832.

“Small businesses are already fragile as it is,” Shouse said. “Especially in our rural areas. You get outside of the city limits, and people have to stretch a dollar a little bit further. It’s a different economy, and if you have fewer people walking in the door, it’s just going to make it a lot harder for them to be able to meet these mandates that the government has put on them.”

Background:

In May 2026, NFIB launched a statewide campaign urging Oklahoma voters to vote no on State Question 832. Visit ProtectOKSmallBusiness.org for more information on the campaign.

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