Minimum wage increases tops issues in Canadian County Democrats’ El Reno Burger Day opinion poll

YUKON, Okla. – For the first time, minimum wage increase became the top issue at El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day with 21.5 percent of the votes cast in a public opinion poll conducted by the Canadian County Democrats.

Visitors stopped by the Democrats’ booth to drop dried pinto beans into their wood display with 11 topics separated by Plexiglas.

Democrats also collected signatures for the statewide Raise the Wage Oklahoma petition, which will bring minimum wage increases to a vote of the people if enough signatures are submitted by the mid-July deadline. More info is available at https://tinyurl.com/28n3nf8k/.

The second most popular bean poll issue was public education with 12.9 percent of the vote followed by veterans’ services and gun violence, which tied for third place with 9.6 percent of the vote.

Women’s reproductive health earned 8.6 percent, while three issues tied with 7.6 percent of the vote: health care, immigration reform and Lesbian Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual rights.

Rounding out the issues of the day were Medicare and Social Security with 6.5 percent; wind and solar energy with 5.3 percent; and roads, bridges and public transit with 3.2 percent.

“For 10 years, the Canadian County Democrats’ bean poll has encouraged people rank and talk about the top issues on their minds,” Canadian County Chair Jody Harlan said. “It’s a conversation-starter, and people really like it, especially kids. We will definitely bring the bean poll to future events.”

The Canadian County Democrats regularly meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, except December, at Yukon Police Department, 100 S. Ranchwood Boulevard. The July 8th meeting will take place at Canadian Valley Tech Center Cowan Campus at 1701 S Czech Hall Road in Yukon. Meetings are also live streamed on Zoom. For more information, visit http://www.canadiancodems.org ,Facebook @CanadianCoDems, X @DemsCounty or phone 405- 326-3600.

Caption: Kathy Koontz (left) and Mike Koontz braved the rain early on El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day to register voters and find out what issues were most important to people attending the event.

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