The State Assembly will approve a bill to raise New York State's minimum wage today, but there is concern that the bill will not pass in the Senate. Supporters of the bill argue that the current minimum wage is too low given the high costs of living in the state. The bill would increase the state's $5.15-an-hour minimum wage to $7.10 an hour in January 2006. Critics say that a higher minimum wage would hurt business and lead to fewer jobs.
See "For Wage Law, Mixed Prospects in the Legislature", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, February 29, 2004