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Cuomo Says Do "The People's Business" Before Pay Raise

Governor Cuomo says if state lawmakers are looking for a pay raise in a post election session, they’ll have to accomplish some items on his agenda first.

The governor says before state legislators ask him for a pay hike, as is expected once elections are finished, they’ll have to make progress on some unfinished business from the last legislative session first.   

Cuomo says he’s seeking action on increasing the minimum wage, reforming New York City’s Stop and Frisk laws, and decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana .

“The concept of a pay raise is’ well, the legislature’s really done a good job’,” asid Cuomo.

But the governor says the lawmakers would then have to “perform well”.

“To perform well means, in my book, to do the people’s business,” he said.  

Cuomo is not ruling out a pay hike. He’s said in the past that his commissioners need a raise. He says the relatively low pay has been a barrier to hiring quality people.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for the New York Public News Network, composed of a dozen newsrooms across the state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.