The Oklahoma Democratic Party's Central Committee voted recently to endorse RAISE OKLAHOMA, an initiative petition campaign to put State Question 731, a raise in the minimum wage, on the November ballot in Oklahoma. The petition calls for the minimum wage to be raised one dollar the first year, one dollar the second year, then thereafter raises will be indexed to the Consumer Price Index and US government-formulated inflation indices.

ODP Chair Lisa Pryor said she encourages all Oklahoma Democrats, including candidates, to support, endorse and sign the RAISE OKLAHOMA petition, which needs 140,000 signatures to get on the November ballots. She said Oklahoma should follow the lead of 18 other states in increasing the hourly pay for minimum wage jobs.

"This is a critical issue for Democrats and working families of Oklahoma," Pryor said. "Democrats believe in standing up for the working men and women of Oklahoma. Historically, the Democratic Party has always stood for fair wages for working families. We will continue to lead this fight for Oklahoma families."

In Oklahoma, 11 percent of Oklahomans - about 372,000 state citizens - live in poverty, including one in five children, a rate that is 15 percent higher than the national average. Pryor said uplifting Oklahomans from poverty is paramount to preserving strong family values and ensuring Oklahoma family units are healthy, educated and self-sustaining.

The Republican-led Oklahoma House of Representatives voted this year to reject a similar bill to increase hourly wages.

"Despite ample opportunities, Republicans in the Oklahoma House have thwarted Democratic efforts to address the minimum wage problem through the legislative process, focusing instead on tax cuts for wealthy Oklahomans and corporations," Pryor said. "Families trying to survive on $5.15 an hour simply can not make ends meet. How can our state move forward when so many workers are struggling just to pay for life's basic necessities. We can do better for our citizens."

For more information about RAISE OKLAHOMA, visit the organization's site at www.raiseoklahoma.com