State Question 832 would mandate annual increases in Oklahoma’s minimum wage based on increases in the cost-of-living in the nation’s urban centers, as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.

That would effectively mandate rapid increases in wages far above market rates in Oklahoma, based on the cost-of-living in places like San Franscisco and New York City.

It’s worth asking who is bankrolling this insane idea—particularly after recent revelations.

In a filing with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, the Yes On 832 campaign reported that the Hopewell Fund contributed $50,000 to Yes on 832 in the first quarter of 2024.

That’s notable because the Hopewell Fund has been accused of helping funnel foreign money into ballot efforts in Nebraska.

In November 2025, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers sued Swiss national Hansjörg Wyss and several Wyss-backed entities, alleging they illegally contributed foreign funds to six Nebraska ballot question committees.

“Nebraskans are under an unprecedented assault of foreign money, flowing unlawfully into our state’s elections, which seeks to radically remake Nebraska’s laws and constitution,” Hilgers said in a press release. “This billionaire and his dark-money allies have flaunted the law in Nebraska, and we filed suit to put a stop to these groups who seek to violate Nebraska law while pushing their radical agenda on the people.”

Hilgers accused Wyss of contributing money to two organizations that then passed the money on to groups like the Hopewell Fund, which in turn gave the money to ballot-question campaigns in Nebraska.

Hilgers’s complaint stated, “Hopewell Fund is a dark money group that is a downstream recipient of Wyss-sourced funds,” and stated that the Hopewell Fund “in turn has contributed directly to multiple Nebraska ballot question committees. Hopewell Fund has also given grants to Nebraska-based organizations which, in turn, spend that money on contributions to ballot question committees.”

An analysis by The State Chamber of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Farm Bureau found SQ 832 would put Oklahoma’s minimum wage on a fast track to $35.61 per hour.

An analyst with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has warned that an artificially high wage law would reduce Oklahoma’s GDP by roughly $700 million by 2035 compared to what would happen if no change were made to the state’s minimum-wage law, and that it could cost 16,000 jobs by 2035.

And other research shows dramatic minimum-wage hikes cause price increases for consumers in a range of areas.

We already knew that SQ 832 would effectively outsource control of Oklahoma’s wage laws to officials in urban areas around the country, such as Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised if this idea may also be the product of a liberal overseas billionaire.

About the author: Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

Editor’s Note: The Hopewell Fund is described on Wikipedia as “a liberal nonprofit organization that is part of a Democratic “dark money” network administered by Arabella Advisors.^[2][3][4] The Hopewell Fund serves as the fiscal sponsor for various left-leaning political projects.^[5] The Hopewell Fund spent over $127 million in 2020, and is one of the five largest nonprofits associated with the Democratic Party.^{[3] “}