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Volunteers for Raise the Wage Oklahoma begin statewide tour to collect signatures

A group wanting to put a state question raising Oklahoma's minimum wage on a ballot has taken its campaign statewide

Volunteers for Raise the Wage Oklahoma begin statewide tour to collect signatures

A group wanting to put a state question raising Oklahoma's minimum wage on a ballot has taken its campaign statewide

THEIR TOUR ACROSS OKLAHOMA TO GET SIGNATURES. SHOULD ALL OKLAHOMANS MAKE AT LEAST $15 AN HOUR, VOLUNTEERS WITH RAISE THE WAGE OKLAHOMA SAY, SHOULD BE UP TO YOU TO DECIDE. WE’VE WAITED WAY TOO LONG FOR POLITICIANS TO ACT AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS TIME FOR VOTERS TO TAKE THIS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. RIGHT NOW, THE MINIMUM WAGE IN OKLAHOMA IS 7.25 AN HOUR, BUT LEADERS OF A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT HOPE TO MORE THAN DOUBLE IT BY PUTTING THE STATE QUESTION ON A FUTURE BALLOT. THERE HASN’T BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE SINCE 2009. THAT’S 15 YEARS AGO. AND WE KNOW IN THAT TIME THAT EVERYTHING ELSE HAS GONE UP. THE CAST OF GAS, GROCERIES, HOUSING, STATE. QUESTION 832 WOULD RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THEN CREATE A FORMULA FOR INCREASES AFTER THAT, RAISE THE WAGE. OKLAHOMA IS CANVASING ACROSS THE STATE TO COLLECT MORE THAN 92,000 SIGNATURES BEFORE JULY 15TH. SO WE’RE HITTING THE ROAD AS A CELEBRATION OF ONE MONTH BEING IN. WE’RE GOING TO COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE TO HAND OUT PETITIONS, A CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON SAYS. THIS MEASURE ISN’T PARTIZAN, BUT RATHER COMMON SENSE AND IS AN INITIATIVE OKLAHOMANS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE BECAUSE THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING CONTINUES TO GO UP. THAT WAGES SHOULD ALSO GO UP. WE KNOW THAT 320,000 OKLAHOMA WORKERS ARE GOING TO GET A PAY RAISE. UM, IF THEY QUESTION 832 PASSES, VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CAMPAIGN STARTED A FOUR DAY SIGN AND GO STATEWIDE TOUR TUESDAY THAT WILL SPAN 618 COMMUNITIES REPORTI
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Volunteers for Raise the Wage Oklahoma begin statewide tour to collect signatures

A group wanting to put a state question raising Oklahoma's minimum wage on a ballot has taken its campaign statewide

A group wanting to put a state question raising Oklahoma's minimum wage on a ballot has taken its campaign statewide. | MORE | Oklahoma's push to raise minimum wage enters new phaseVolunteers with Raise the Wage Oklahoma said it should be up to voters to decide if the state's minimum wage should be gradually raised to $15 an hour. It is currently $7.25 an hour in Oklahoma. “We’ve waited too long for politicians to act, and we think it’s time for voters to take this into their own hands," Amber England, the campaign spokesperson for Raise the Wage Oklahoma, said. Leaders of the grassroots movement hope to increase the minimum wage by putting a state question on a future ballot. “There hasn’t been an increase in minimum wage since 2009. That’s 15 years ago, and we know in that time that everything else has gone up – gas, groceries, housing," England said. State Question 832 would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next five years, and then it would create a formula for increases after that. Volunteers with Raise the Wage Oklahoma are canvasing across the state to collect more than 92,000 signatures before July 15. "We’re hitting the road as a celebration of being one month in. We’re going to communities all across the state to hand out petitions," England said. A campaign spokesperson said this measure isn't partisan but rather commonsense, and it is an initiative Oklahomans should have the right to decide. "Because the price of everything continues to go up that wages should also go up," England said. "We know that 320,000 Oklahoma workers are going to get a pay raise if State Question 832 passes. The State Chamber of Oklahoma is a group that has been against the minimum wage increase, and they previously took the issue to the courts. The Oklahoma Supreme Court eventually ruled that the measure is constitutional, but the group said they are now focusing on making sure Oklahomans know what they are voting for. In a previous statement to KOCO 5, the State Chamber CEO and President Chad Warmington said he was disappointed by the court's decision to let the state question move forward. "We look forward to a vigorous campaign to educate Oklahomans about the disastrous policy that will crush working families through price increases on the heels of record inflation and put corner stores and family farms out of business," Warmington said in a statement.The statewide campaign to get signatures will last four days and span across 16 communities. Top Headlines 8 dead, 45 hospitalized in massive Florida bus crash TIMELINE: Severe storms could bring hail, strong winds to Oklahoma on Wednesday Oklahomans could get another chance to see Northern Lights Police search for suspected shooter after Bethany home hit by gunfire Seeing ants in your home? Pest control expert explains why Thunder fans welcome team back to Oklahoma City after Game 4 victory

A group wanting to put a state question raising Oklahoma's minimum wage on a ballot has taken its campaign statewide.

| MORE | Oklahoma's push to raise minimum wage enters new phase

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Volunteers with Raise the Wage Oklahoma said it should be up to voters to decide if the state's minimum wage should be gradually raised to $15 an hour. It is currently $7.25 an hour in Oklahoma.

“We’ve waited too long for politicians to act, and we think it’s time for voters to take this into their own hands," Amber England, the campaign spokesperson for Raise the Wage Oklahoma, said.

Leaders of the grassroots movement hope to increase the minimum wage by putting a state question on a future ballot.

“There hasn’t been an increase in minimum wage since 2009. That’s 15 years ago, and we know in that time that everything else has gone up – gas, groceries, housing," England said.

State Question 832 would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next five years, and then it would create a formula for increases after that.

Volunteers with Raise the Wage Oklahoma are canvasing across the state to collect more than 92,000 signatures before July 15.

"We’re hitting the road as a celebration of being one month in. We’re going to communities all across the state to hand out petitions," England said.

A campaign spokesperson said this measure isn't partisan but rather commonsense, and it is an initiative Oklahomans should have the right to decide.

"Because the price of everything continues to go up that wages should also go up," England said. "We know that 320,000 Oklahoma workers are going to get a pay raise if State Question 832 passes.

The State Chamber of Oklahoma is a group that has been against the minimum wage increase, and they previously took the issue to the courts. The Oklahoma Supreme Court eventually ruled that the measure is constitutional, but the group said they are now focusing on making sure Oklahomans know what they are voting for.

In a previous statement to KOCO 5, the State Chamber CEO and President Chad Warmington said he was disappointed by the court's decision to let the state question move forward.

"We look forward to a vigorous campaign to educate Oklahomans about the disastrous policy that will crush working families through price increases on the heels of record inflation and put corner stores and family farms out of business," Warmington said in a statement.

The statewide campaign to get signatures will last four days and span across 16 communities.


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