With inflation defining the time in which we live, who doesn’t deserve a raise, especially a seemingly arbitrary one?
If you’re one of the few-dozen fools convinced a statewide-elected position will satisfy your ego in 2026, then this past week was just your luck — for now, anyway.
Oklahoma’s new Statewide Official Compensation Commission met for the first time Nov. 12 to discuss salary considerations for the future holders of 11 positions, most of which you’ve probably heard of. But the results were as confusing to the public as the meeting was to its own members.
Some salaries were modestly increased, while others saw significant hikes and leapfrogged the governor, dropping the state’s top executive to eighth out of 11 in the new pay plan for 2027 and beyond. Perhaps most astoundingly, the nine citizens appointed to the SOCC doubled the next state superintendent of public instruction’s salary from $124,373 to $250,000 — a figure higher than the vice president of the United States and the speaker of the House in Congress.
Many Oklahomans who saw salaries rising amid their own decreased purchasing power felt frustrated. But even folks who generally believe Oklahoma has historically underpaid its elected officials found the decisions about which position got what confusing at best.
On Friday, NonDoc revealed good news for those seeking a redo, albeit bad news for those who have endured two meetings of the befuddled public body already: It appears many of the actions taken on elected official compensation were actually invalid owing to a lobbyist serving on the Board of Legislative Compensation in clear violation of the law. (The BLC’s membership must be the SOCC’s membership as well, a statutory scenario that apparently caused the appointing oversight.)
As a result, both boards have scheduled special meetings for 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in Room 230 of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Based on the coverage I’ve seen of these meetings so far, it might be worth taking the afternoon off and wandering down to watch, if you can afford it and if they allow popcorn.
Whether the votes will be rescinded and considered again, however, remains to be seen. But one thing worth watching is whether the state superintendent of public instruction salary is doubled again or raised at all, since Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) is reportedly facing quite the compensation conundrum.
Under Article 5, Section 23 of the Oklahoma Constitution, a legislator is prohibited being “elected” to “any office” that saw its salary increased “during his term of office.” Since Pugh’s final Senate term runs through 2028, some seem to fear he would be ineligible for the state superintendent position if the salary is boosted this year.
Maybe a good game of Plinko should just settle things once and for all. Chip Carter, Robert DeNegri … come on down!
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