By J. Stark Davis and Daniel Nallon
The concept of the government setting a minimum wage is rooted in wrong thinking about the government’s role in the economy of a free country. There are countries with socialistic, communistic, or other forms of tyrannical governments, where the government actively and aggressively controls the economy, individual businesses, and individual workers. The greater the control by the government, the less the opportunity within the markets and with individual workers, for competition, excellence, and growth.
The design for the United States was to a have a free country where government’s role was limited to protecting people nationally and locally from those who would injure or take advantage of them. In other words the government was designed to act like a referee in a basketball game, enforcing the rules to keep people safe and the competition fair. It was not the government’s job to take the ball and play the game for people or for businesses. It was up to each individual to find work and provide for themselves and their families. The original design was for each person to have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The government was just there to enforce the laws to ensure people were safe and there was free and fair competition.
In the U.S. free market system, there are laws against monopolies, dangerous work conditions, child labor abuse, and there are requirements for employers to have workers compensation insurance to protect workers from on the job injuries. In the United States we have an abundance of laws to keep people safe and the competition fair in the workplace. Lawmakers have determined that the setting of a minimum wage may be helpful to ensure employers offer a fair wage. But fair to who? It must be understood that the higher the minimum wage requirement, the fewer the jobs employers can offer for those wanting to go to work and gain experience so they can prove themselves and earn higher wages in the future. Also, the higher the minimum wage the greater the incentive for businesses to move their companies and their jobs to other countries that don’t have U.S. protections and high minimum wage requirements.
A new Oklahoma ballot proposal, State Question 832, would significantly increase the state’s minimum wage by tying it to the cost of living in expensive urban areas. The measure is on the ballot on June 16, 2026.
Let us imagine that this ballot proposal would have passed, say, 10 years ago. If that were the case, Oklahoma would now have the highest minimum wage in the country.
SQ 832 has a series of static increases in the minimum wage that would bring the minimum wage to $15 over five years. After that, the minimum wage is subject to increases based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. If this had passed in 2015, Oklahoma’s minimum wage would be $19.04 today, a 112 percent increase.from Daniel Nallon via email
Politicians demanding higher minimum wage laws claim they are doing this to help the poor but they are actually hurting the poor because each time the minimum wage is increased employers are forced to cut jobs and provide less opportunities for new workers to join the workforce. When employers have greater freedom to set their own wages more people are given opportunities to get a job and start getting paid. These workers can improve their opportunities for higher wages as they grow and develop as good employees. To keep good employees, employers must increase wages within their businesses, or their workers will go find other employers who will pay them a higher wage. This is how the free market works, and this is how growth and competition produces higher wages and quality workers. So in reality, higher minimum wage laws are hurting the poor, and limiting their opportunities.
Special thanks to OCPA for their wonderful graphic on SQ 832
Special thanks to our contributors to this post! Welcome J. Stark Davis and we hope to hear more from him. Take a look at his book Integrity First! If you are not on Daniel Nallon’s email list and want to be, please drop him a line. They are always informative!
J. Stark Davis lives in Edmond Oklahoma. He is an Attorney, LtCol USAF (Retired), USAF Academy graduate, author of Integrity First: America’s Desperate Need for Leaders with Strong Moral Courage. (email: stark_davis@ hotmail.com)
Daniel Nallon lives in Washington County Oklahoma where he serves as GOP Precinct 79 chair, OK2A Director of Northeast chapters, Ochelata Sportsman’s club secretary, NRA Benefactor life member, NRA certified firearms instructor, NRA Range Safety Officer, and is a Cleet certified SDA instructor. (email: dnallon.ok2a@ gmail.com)
Original content via OKGrassroots
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