June 17 (UPI) -- Oklahoma voters have rejected raising the state's nation-lowest minimum wage as several states held primaries on Tuesday.
The Sooner State sets its minimum at $7.25, the federal minimum wage floor, tying it with 19 other mostly Republican-led or -leaning states for the nation's lowest. Oklahoma raised its minimum wage to $7.25 in 2009 to comply with federal law.
Voters were asked in State Question 832 whether Oklahoma employers must pay employees at least $15 per hour by 2029, putting the state above the median of $11.63 an hour but still below the highest-wage states.
However, voters rejected the move. Unofficial state results show that with 1,984 precincts reporting, 55.3% of voters said "no" to State Question 832, compared to 44.6% in favor of raising the minimum wage.
"Oklahomans sent a clear message: We can grow our economy, create opportunities and keep life affordable without one-size-fits-all mandates that make it harder for businesses to hire and grow," Chad Warmington, State Chamber of Oklahoma president and CEO, said in a press release.
