IMPORTANT CURRENT ISSUES

State Question 832

State Question 832 will be on the ballot June 16, and it will have real consequences for Oklahomans.

FACT: SQ 832 ties Oklahoma’s minimum wage to the cost of living in Los Angeles and San Francisco

• SQ 832 raises Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, but it doesn’t stop there…
• SQ 832 continues raising Oklahoma’s minimum wage every year after that, based on a national cost-of-living index for big cities, which means liberal politicians in California will set the minimum wage in Oklahoma

In a new episode of Weighing In, host Dave Bond sits down with Professor James Davenport to discuss how SQ 832 affects the workforce—especially those actually making minimum wage.

 Listen to the episode here 

Data Centers

Data Centers are popping up all over our nation. Governor Stitt announced on social media that he is fully behind the solar & wind farms and data centers. It seems that Oklahoma has a favorable climate for the centers, much like the low fees for marijuana grow farms that then covered our state.

Oklahoma currently has around 35 facilities with more under construction. We are told that data centers provide jobs and tremendous tax revenue for our state and the city/county in which they are built. But do they? Current data shows that at least ten states are missing $100 million in tax revenue annually and electricity rates jump anywhere from 8-26% for residents. Are they really producing jobs and revenue? State governments, including Oklahoma, are giving out large subsidies and tax abatements, with no guarantee of benefit. It is out of control.

“Subsidy programs in Texas, which exempts data centers from paying sales and use taxes including on the costs to power data centers, cost the state more than $1 billion in 2025, according to the state Comptroller’s Office.” Oklahoma is offering deals as well—but is the benefit worth the missed revenue and expense to the taxpayer?