by Bailey Ashbaker, Senior Policy Analyst and Engagement Specialist
State Updates
State Question 832 is a state question proposing to raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma and will be put to a vote of the people, but it won’t be on November 5. According to Misha Mohr, public information officer at the State Election Board, Governor Kevin Stitt would have had to issue a proclamation by August 26 for that to happen. While the date for the vote is yet to be determined, September 5 marked the end of a final 10-day period for any protests to be filed against a vote going forward on State Question 832.
Federal Updates
Congress returned on September 9, leaving only three weeks to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government beyond the September 30 deadline for fiscal year 2025. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) laid out a plan to pass a longer-term CR that would expire in March 2025, which would include a provision that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. This strategy – which includes the citizenship question, and the longer-term duration – has been opposed by Democrats and moderate Republicans in the House. The duration of the CR will remain a major sticking point during the negotiations.
USDA 2023 Household Food Security Report
Oklahoma remains one of the seven states where rates of food insecurity exceed the national average. Between 2021-2023, Oklahoma’s food insecurity rate was 15.4 percent, an increase from the average between 2018-2020 at 14.6 percent and the highest it has been since 2011. The average rate of very low food security has also increased by 1.2 percentage points between the 2018-2020 and 2021-2023 ranges. Click here to read the full report.
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