Business leaders, economists and policy experts gathered at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s May Forum to discuss State Question 832 and the potential impacts of raising Oklahoma’s minimum wage.
Held May 13 at the Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City, the forum featured a panel discussion moderated by Mike Jackson, senior vice president, government relations and policy for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Panelists included Dr. Russell Evans, dean of the College of Business at the University of Central Oklahoma; James Leewright, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association; and Adam Maxey, vice president of government affairs for The State Chamber of Oklahoma.
Throughout the discussion, panelists emphasized that while wages should continue increasing, they expressed concerns that State Question 832’s structure, particularly its automatic inflation-based increases, is not the right fit for Oklahoma’s economy. Speakers pointed to Oklahoma’s lower cost of living, workforce needs and business climate as reasons the state may require a different approach than larger coastal markets…