Deputy Senate Republican Leader Tom Libous today said it is likely the some form of a minimum wage hike will take place this year, but he hoped any hike would include tax provisions for businesses.

“We have to be realistic,” Libous said. ”We know that something’s going to take place. But we also have to give protection to businesses. I have a lot of friends back home who own diners, who own restaurants. I think service industry needs to have some protection.”

Libous added that he preferred the hike to place out of the budget in order to pave the way for an on-time spending plan by April 1.

The Democratic-led Assembly today is expected to pass its version of the minimum wage increase today. The bill calls for a minimum wage hike of $9 a hour and indexes future increases to the rate of inflation.

An exact copy of that bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, which is led by a coalition of Republicans and five Democrats.

“I think that the Assembly is doing the minimum wage outside of the budget is a healthy thing,” he said. ”I’m not sure that I would want to do the min wage in the budget.”

Libous called the $9 minimum wage a “pretty big increase” from $7.25. Cuomo’s budget calls for a $8.75 minimum wage with no indexing provision.

Senate Republicans have called for more than $2 billion in tax cuts for businesses and homeowners, including an end to the Paterson-era surcharge on utility assessments.

“I think something can be worked out,” Libous said. ”Working it out directly in the budget going to be uncomfortable for a lot of people, but I think it’s an issue that has to be addressed.”

 

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