New York to Change Minimum Wage and Bail in $229 Billion Budget Deal
But the protracted discussions over the bail law, one of the most politically explosive issues in Albany, took a toll on other policy issues, forcing Ms. Hochul to compromise heavily in order to claim victory.
The governor had sought to eliminate a cap that would allow over 100 new charter schools — which are privately run, but publicly funded — to open in New York City, a proposal that met with a swift backlash from top Democrats, as well as teachers’ unions. In the end, Ms. Hochul accepted to allow 14 new charter schools by reviving so-called “zombie licenses,” or permits awarded to schools that had closed.
Democrats also found common ground on a plan to raise the state’s minimum hourly wage by two dollars to $17, up from $15, by 2026 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. It would hit $17 by 2027 in the rest of the state, and future increases statewide would be pegged to inflation.
The move riled Republicans and some business groups who said it would lead to job losses, and upset progressive Democrats and major unions who have clamored for an increase of as high as $21.25, saying the city’s minimum wage would still be lower than other cities, like Seattle and Los Angeles.
It appears that the budget agreement, which still requires a formal vote by the full Legislature next week, will result in a hodgepodge of other Democratic priorities, from a ban on natural gas in new buildings to funding for free meals for school children, to a pilot program to make free five bus routes in the city.
Source: The New York Times
