OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is urging Oklahomans to vote No on State Question 832, arguing the proposal would raise costs, undermine the free market, and hurt the same working families supporters say they want to help.
In an op-ed published by the Bryan County Patriot, Bullard criticized the measure as a government mandate that would interfere with wages and labor costs.
“Let me be clear, a government mandated increase on minimum wage is absolutely a tax on the poor and middle class and anyone who tells you otherwise is either ignorant of economics or intentionally misleading you,” Bullard wrote.
SQ 832 will appear on Oklahoma’s June 16 ballot. The measure would raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029 and then tie future increases to CPI-W, a federal inflation index.
Bullard framed the proposal as part of a broader debate over the role of government in the economy, warning that state-mandated wage increases would put pressure on businesses and consumers.
“The government should not be the arbiter of who wins and who loses,” Bullard wrote.
He also pushed back on the argument that SQ 832 would “give” workers a living wage, saying wages should be earned through work, opportunity, and individual effort rather than set by government mandate.
“In our country we don’t ‘give’ people wages, we earn our wages and we control our own destiny,” Bullard wrote.
Bullard said Oklahoma’s economic strength is tied to free enterprise, individual opportunity, and limited government. He urged voters to reject SQ 832 in the June election.
“Friends, I ask that you join me and other like-minded individuals who are lucky enough to call ourselves Oklahomans and Americans to vote NO on the abomination known as SQ832,” Bullard wrote.
