Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed a new law prohibiting cities and towns within the state from raising the local minimum wage on Monday, according to Slate.com.
Fallin said the law "protects our economy from bad public policy that would destroy Oklahoma jobs," Slate.com reported.
"Mandating a minimum wage increase at the local level would drive businesses to other communities and states, and would raise prices for consumers," she said in a statement. She has also opposed a federal increase to the minimum wage.
The new law will also stop certain local businesses from requiring that employees receive a certain number of sick or vacation days, either paid or unpaid, Slate.com reported. Legislation to increase the federal minimum wage is currently stalled in Congress and talks of raises in wages have to states and cities.
The newly passed the Oklahoma law blocks the recommended minimum wage of $10.10 which several cities have recently approved as the level supported by congressional Democrats and President Obama, according to Slate.com.
A petition was started in Oklahoma City to put wage increase on the November ballot, Slate.com reported. Critics of the new law say it was passed in response to the petition.
David Slane is a local criminal attorney who drafted the petition proposal and said the signature-gathering began a month ago and was already more than halfway to the approximately 10,000 signatures required for a spot on the ballot, according to Slate.com.
The petitioners have decided to move forward and will either challenge the law's constitutionality or a begin a statewide petition which would require significantly more signatures, Slate.com reported.
