Oklahoma Supreme Court turns down request for rehearing on minimum wage petition

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday turned down a motion to reconsider its earlier ruling that an initiative petition to increase the state's minimum wage could move ahead.

The request, filed by the State Chamber of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation, said a rehearing was needed "to clarify the scope and the impact of (the) court's decision because the court did not provide an explanation for its conclusions."

"Because this court issued a decision without providing reasons for the conclusions it reached, ambiguity remains concerning both the constitutionality of the challenged initiative petition, should it be enacted and this court's jurisprudence on the constitutional doctrine of nondelegation as it will apply to future cases," the group's brief said.

More: State Chamber, Farm Bureau ask court for rehearing on minimum wage petition

Monday, the issued a single page ruling saying the motion for a rehearing was denied. The court voted 6-3 to deny the motion.

The petition, listed as State Question 832, would gradually raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma from the current $7.25 per hour to $15 in 2029. Future increases would be tied to the cost-of-living index. Supporters of the proposal filed documents with the secretary of state’s office on Oct. 27. The petition, which creates a state statute — and doesn’t amend the Oklahoma Constitution — would require 92,263 signatures to get on the ballot.

The ruling will effectively clear the way for supporters to begin gathering signatures for the petition.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OK Supreme Court denies request for rehearing on minimum wage petition