If approved by the State Legislature, the proposal would make New York’s minimum wage among the highest in the country. But traditional Republican opposition in the State Senate, where that party holds a majority, makes the passage of such legislation far from assured.
Still, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, seemed cautiously optimistic that an improving economy, including robust recent gains on Wall Street and the stock market, would make it easier to cut a deal.
“The world has changed,” said Mr. Cuomo, when asked about past Republican opposition, adding: “The market is strong and I believe the market, this market, at this rate of strength, can deal with this.”
The state last increased the minimum wage in 2013, approving a three-year rollout that pushed the hourly rate to $8.75 from $7.25. That wage will rise to $9 an hour by 2016. But on Sunday, Mr. Cuomo suggested that the rate of increase was too slow, saying “the wage gap has continued to increase.” Under his proposal, the wage would increase to $11.50 and $10.50 at the end of 2016.
The proposal, announced at a news conference in Manhattan, seemingly offered the governor a chance to refine his position regarding differing wages in differing parts of the state, noting it was the first time New York City would be allowed a different rate. Last year, Mr. Cuomo had dismissed suggestions that local governments could set their own minimum wages, saying that letting them do so could lead to a “chaotic situation.”
