The leader of New York State’s Business Council said her group will fight Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, but concedes that the legislation may become law soon.
Business Council President Heather Briccetti said the proposed steep hike in the minimum wage would be bad for the state’s economy, and the group will be “heavily engaged” in opposing it. But she said she’s a “political realist” and her group is already looking at changes to insert into the bill in the event that the state legislature, under re-election pressures in 2016, passes it into law.
“We’re looking for ways to soften the blow,” said Briccetti. Those ideas include small business tax cuts and special rules for youths seeking entry level jobs.
Though the business community has disagreed with Cuomo over the minimum wage bill and his recent executive actions raising the wage for fast food workers, Briccetti said she understand the governor has political considerations with the left of his party. And she said 80 percent of what Cuomo has done, including a property tax cap, has been good for business.
The Business Council has one more difference with Cuomo. Briccetti said her group plans on endorsing the Republican, Fred Akshar, in the special State Senate race in the Southern Tier. The seat is open after its former occupant, Tom Libous, was convicted of a felony corruption charge earlier this summer. Cuomo supports his former Motor Vehicles Commissioner, Democrat Barbara Fialla.
Briccetti said the race is “critical.”
“It is an extremely important race,” said Briccetti. “I think it’s probably going to be a tough race, but in our assessment it’s very important that the pro-business candidate come out ahead.”
Briccetti said while her group is nonpartisan, it has an interest in keeping Republicans in control in the State Senate, and will work in the 2016 elections to keep the GOP in control. She said veteran Republican Senators can better represent upstate and Long Island than any freshman Democrats.
