several liberal advocates and lawmakers are calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to work more assertively for its passage, urging him to do more to help the poor and address income inequality.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has said he supports increasing the minimum wage, but some backers of the bill said that he had not lobbied for it as strongly as he pushed other measures he saw as priorities.
Indeed, there are several obstacles that make it difficult for Mr. Cuomo to support some of the measures sought by liberals. He inherited a state with severe fiscal problems, as well as a divided Legislature, with an Assembly held by Democrats, a Senate held by Republicans and a history of dysfunction and corruption.
Some say that Mr. Cuomo’s focus on job creation and business growth was actually the right way to help poor people.
The Assembly will vote on its own version of the bill Tuesday, but Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos has said repeatedly the bill won’t reach the Senate floor, a view rank-and-file Republicans share after recent closed-door conferences.
Last week, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who supports an increase, didn’t include it in on a list of a half-dozen active issues ne believed could be resolved by the end of the legislative session on June 21.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said Monday he believes his proposal is still alive.
Seventy eight percent of state voters favor raising New York’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour, according to a Siena Research Institute poll released Monday.
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