OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 11, 2026) – In an op-ed for The Oklahoman, David Deming, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, urged voters to oppose State Question 832, a permanent, uncapped mandate that will harm small businesses and family farms with price hikes and lost jobs. Citing research from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Deming warns that the passage of State Question 832 “could result in the loss of as many as 16,000 jobs in Oklahoma by 2035.”

CLICK HERE to read the full op-ed. Excerpts are below.

Oklahoma Mandating an Arbitrary Wage Hike Is Not a Good Idea

The Oklahoman

By: David Deming

May 7, 2026

On June 16, Oklahoma voters will decide whether State Question 832, raising the minimum wage, becomes law. Mandating an arbitrary increase in wages is not a good idea. If this measure is enacted, there will be adverse consequences for Oklahoma’s economy and the welfare of its residents. […]

Government has no business setting prices. […] The value of labor should be decided by free-market competition. Price controls distort markets. They cause shortages and surpluses. Higher costs will be passed on to consumers, including Oklahomans already suffering from inflationary pressures. […]

When the cost of a person’s labor becomes higher than the value they produce, businesses simply will not hire. A study by the National Federation of Independent Businesses estimates that passage of SQ 832 could result in the loss of as many as 16,000 jobs in Oklahoma by 2035.

If SQ 832 passes, the minimum wage in Oklahoma will rise to $15 per hour by 2029. The following year, the state will enter a nightmare scenario where minimum-wage increases will be automatically determined by the U.S. national inflation rate as calculated by the federal government. […] Small businesses — the backbone of Oklahoma’s economy — will be especially hard hit. The State Chamber of Oklahoma estimates that within 15 years, the minimum wage in Oklahoma could climb from $7.25 per hour to $35.61.

Should the measure pass, the people hurt most will be the very people that advocates claim will be helped. […] Low-income workers will be laid off or replaced by robots. Entry-level positions for unskilled laborers, teenagers and those seeking part time work will disappear. […]

Visit ProtectOKSmallBusiness.org for more information on the campaign.

Authorized and paid for by National Federation of Independent Business, 53 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-872-5800