Governor Pataki and Majority Leader Holding Up New York Minimum Wage Bill.

• Law would raise minimum wage to $7 an hour. It would directly benefit an estimated 700,000 low-wage workers and their families 

On July 21, the New York State Legislature, by bi-partisan veto-proof majorities in both houses (51-7 in the Senate and 116-19 in the Assembly), passed a bill to raise New York's minimum wage. When Gov. George Pataki promptly vetoed the bill, most New Yorkers expected a swift override. State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick), however, is dragging his feet, saying the legislature has better things to do . A comprehensive analysis published by the Fiscal Policy Institute , a nonpartisan New York State think tank, indicates that raising New York's minimum wage would directly benefit an estimated 700,000 low-wage workers and their families while "help[ing] improve the functioning of the New York economy... encourag[ing] more efficient business practices and level[ing] the competitive playing field for businesses already paying better wages." If you're a New Yorker, tell Bruno and others in the New York State Legislature to override Pataki's veto and raise New York's minimum wage. [more]