As a Business Owner, I Support SQ832 — Because Oklahoma Workers Deserve Better

As a Business Owner, I Support SQ832 — Because Oklahoma Workers Deserve Better

By Angela K. Chambers

I am a business owner.

I understand payroll. I understand overhead. I understand the challenges that come with operating a business in today's economy. I also understand what it feels like to work hard and still struggle to make ends meet.

That is why I support State Question 832.

Some may assume that business owners would automatically oppose raising the minimum wage. I am not one of them.

The reality is simple: minimum wage in Oklahoma is not a livable wage. Period.

A person working full-time should not have to choose between paying rent or buying groceries. They should not have to decide whether they can afford gas to get to work or medicine to stay healthy. Yet for many hardworking Oklahomans, those are the choices they face every day.

The cost of housing has increased.

The cost of food has increased.

The cost of utilities has increased.

The cost of transportation has increased.

Everything has gone up except the wages of many working people.

As business owners, we often say we want dependable employees, committed workers, and strong communities. Those things do not happen by accident. They happen when people have enough income to live with dignity and stability.

➡️ When workers earn more, they spend more locally.

➡️ They shop in neighborhood businesses.

➡️ They support restaurants.

➡️ They purchase services.

➡️ They invest in their families.

➡️ That money circulates throughout our communities and strengthens our local economy.

This is not just a worker issue. It is an economic development issue.

I believe elected officials should work for the good of the people they represent. If an elected official opposes efforts that help hardworking Oklahomans earn a more livable wage, I believe they should explain how families are expected to survive under current conditions.

Leadership requires listening.

Leadership requires compassion.

Leadership requires understanding the realities that everyday people face.

The truth is that many Oklahomans are working harder than ever before and still falling behind. That should concern all of us regardless of political party, race, zip code, or profession.

▪️I support entrepreneurship. I support business growth. I support job creation.

▪️I also support workers.

▪️The two are not mutually exclusive.

▪️Strong businesses need strong communities, and strong communities need people who can afford to live, work, and thrive.

As a business owner, I support SQ832 because I believe Oklahoma workers deserve better.

They deserve opportunity.

They deserve dignity.

They deserve a wage that reflects the realities of today's economy.

And they deserve leaders who are willing to stand with them.