The leader of the New York State Senate Republicans says his members will once again partner with a group of breakaway Democrats to rule the chamber in January. Senator Dean Skelos says his members also want a pay raise.
Republicans won a bare majority of 32 seats in the 2014 elections, and GOP Leader Skelos says he will once again from a coalition government with leader of the Independent Democrats, Senator Jeff Klein. Senator Skelos, who was reelected by Republican members to his post in a two-hour closed door meeting Monday, says GOP Senators also want a salary increase for the first time since 1999.
“I’ve said I’m in favor of the pay raise on numerous occasions,” Skelos said. “It’s been 14 years.”
Governor Cuomo is seeking a number of progressive items, and Skelos ruled out agreeing to several of them, including public campaign financing, and college aid to children of illegal immigrants. But he did leave the door open a crack to raising the state’s minimum wage.
