Once again, polling numbers have shown that the vast majority of New Yorkers stand behind a raise in the minimum wage. Now backed by 80 percent of New Yorkers, public approval of this increase has been growing steadily. The recent Siena poll numbers provide yet another example of the pervasive support for this necessary change.

A higher wage will put money back into local economies across the state and boost the Empire State's ongoing economic recovery. With four out of every five residents standing in support of their hardworking friends and neighbors, the time has come for legislative action.