This is an area where there is widespread agreement, not just among legislators. (Photo: US News)
This is an area where there is widespread agreement, not just among legislators.
According to the most recent Siena College poll, voters support the governor’s idea of tying the minimum wage increase to inflation by a margin of 70% to 26%, including 59% of Republican voters.
However, there are some details in the governor’s proposal that progressives would like to see removed.
“She has this quote-unquote indexing proposal that’s not meeting the cost of living needs. It guarantees a low-wage job. “With bad inflation, a $15 wage has been eroded to about $12.50,” Kink said.
Hochul’s proposal also includes a 3% cap and off-ramps in the event of an economic downturn.
“Indexing for inflation is indexing for inflation in my mind. “For example, if there is 5% inflation, you get a 5% wage increase,” Kink explained.
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According to Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG), the only question is the type of minimum wage increase preferred by the Legislature.
“I think there appears to be a growing consensus to have a minimum wage increase,” Horner said. “I believe the only relevant question is whether they follow the governor’s proposal or whether the Legislature raises the floor first.”
A “Raise the Wage” bill sponsored by Sen. Jessica Ramos, and Assemblymember Latoya Joyner is a key legislative proposal. According to Cornell’s Russell Weaver, it would raise the state’s minimum wage and index it to inflation and worker productivity within five years.
If the Legislature decides to tie wages to inflation in the manner proposed by Ramos and Joyner, there will be additional public costs in areas such as Medicaid and home care.
There are other arguments against the minimum wage increase soon after the state’s further recent increases. According to the New York Post, “New York is already facing an exodus of residents and businesses, and progressives only want to accelerate the exodus.”
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