Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein today said he was supportive of indexing future increases in the state’s minimum wage, but said the details of how precisely the current wage of $7.25 can be worked out in the budget.

Klein, the Senate co-president, the IDC and mainline Democrats held a news conference today unveiling a report on the economic benefits of increasing the state’s minimum wage, which highlighted the needs of minority families and householders dependent women wage earners.

“I still think index is the best way to go,” Klein said. “I think the most important thing we have to achieve in this legislative session is an increase in the minimum wage. That’s really my focus.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $142.6 billion budget plan would increase the minimum wage to $8.75, but does not include an indexing component.

Earlier today, Cuomo said it would be “shame” if the minimum wage wasn’t increased.

Klein last year co-sponsored Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s legislation in the Senate that raised the wage to $8.50, but including an index provision.

Senate Republicans opposed the wage increase last year, but GOP Leader Dean Skelos has said he would be open to a phase in or a training wage.

“I think we really should do some type of gradual increase if not indexing,” Klein said. “That’s something that I think is the right way to go. For people to come back here in five years, six years for an increase in the minimum wage — that’s why I supported the indexing.”

IDC Min Wage Report 2013 by Nick Reisman

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