FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: House Minority Leader Scott Inman
Capitol: (405) 557-7370
Contact: State Rep. Mike Shelton
Capitol: (405 557-7367
Increase in Minimum Wage Rejected by House Republicans
Rep. Mike Shelton (D-97)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Only one House Republican joined House Democrats when a vote was taken Monday afternoon on a proposal to raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma.
Rep. Mike Shelton lodged a motion to suspend the House Rules in order to file an untimely amendment to a House measure in order to raise the minimum wage over the next three years: from $7.25 per hour to $10 per hour.
“It is vital that we use every option available to us as a legislature to help the working people of Oklahoma,” said Shelton, D-Oklahoma City.
According to the Oklahoma Policy Institute, nearly half (47.8%) of working-aged Oklahomans who were impoverished in 2013 worked full- or part-time. In addition, 30.5% of the jobs in Oklahoma are considered low-wage. Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, reported that 627,000 Oklahomans were living in poverty in 2013.
Rep. Eric Proctor (D-77)
“No one should work a full-time job in the United States and live in poverty,” said Rep. Eric Proctor, D-Tulsa. Several states – including Arkansas, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Maine, Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Nevada and New York – have already raised their minimum wage, Proctor related.
In addition, the Cherokee Nation recently raised its minimum wage to $9.50 per hour, Proctor said.
Shelton’s motion was defeated on a 27-57 vote. The proposal was endorsed by 26 Democrats and one Republican, and all 57 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans. Three House Democrats were absent when the vote was taken.
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MIKE W. RAY
Media Director, Democratic Caucus
Oklahoma House of Representatives
(405) 962-7819 office
(405) 245-4411 mobile
“…all 57 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans.”
Shocking.
/endsarcasm
Just once, I would like to see these so called representatives try and live on minimum wage for a while. I would like to take away all of their benefits, the health care, vehicles and drivers etc…and watch them try and survive on minimum wage.
It wouldn’t matter whether they found out how difficult it was. They just don’t care, and anyway, poor people don’t line their pockets.