Minimum Wage Would Increase On Long Island Under $229B Budget Deal

LONG ISLAND, NY — A long-delayed $229 billion state budget deal struck by Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers late Thursday promises some major changes to Long Island, the Hudson Valley and New York City.

Democrats came together and plan to raise the state’s minimum hourly wage in phases to $17 by 2026 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. That's up from $15.

The minimum wage would hit $17 the following year for the rest of the state. Wage increases in the future would be tied to inflation under the deal.

"We've had a lot of intense conversations, but I believe that New Yorkers will be proud of this budget," Hochul said Thursday as she outlined the deal's broad strokes.

The deal — reached four weeks late after several rounds of fruitless negotiations and extensions — excluded much of what Hochul wanted, notably a housing plan to build 800,000 new homes in the state over the next decade.

It also included changes to the state's bail reform laws giving judges more leeway that advocates have argued are a step backward.

There would be a statewide ban on natural gas in new construction buildings, though Long Island residents would not see a payroll tax hike that was proposed to help the MTA, according to Newsday.