A Statement from Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue)
(Long Island, NY) “As budget negotiations continue between the governor and legislative leaders, a concern of mine is that these negotiations will bend to the governor’s will and include his proposal to drastically increase New York’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. In 2013, the minimum wage in New York was raised from $7.25 to $8.00, then in 2014 raised to $8.75, in 2015 it was raised once again to $9.00. That is a nearly 40 percent increase in the minimum wage in the past two years. Raising it to $15 would be 67 percent increase on top of that. If this proposal comes to pass, in just a three year span the minimum wage will have more than doubled. Such a substantial increase should certainly be brought to the chamber of both houses for debate and discussion, not forced in the budget to satisfy the governor’s political agenda.
“Our conference has been calling out against such drastic raise in the minimum wage, instead calling for targeted earned income tax credits to help those who truly need it. Such an increase in the minimum wage would result in the estimated loss of at least 200,000 jobs, drive up operating costs for small businesses already being choked by an unfriendly business climate in New York, and will only result in more businesses shutting down or moving out of the state.”
