As legislation to raise New York State’s minimum wage faces strong opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate, several liberal advocates and lawmakers are calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to work more assertively for its passage, urging him to do more to help the poor and address income inequality.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has said he supports increasing the minimum wage, but some backers of the bill said that he had not lobbied for it as strongly as other measures he saw as priorities.
The governor became something of a national darling among liberals last year because of his firm support for same-sex marriage. But some say his moderate fiscal record has been overlooked. In his first year and a half in office, Mr. Cuomo has argued in favor of making the state more tax-friendly for businesses and for pouring resources into economic development projects that he hopes will create jobs. At the same time, he has cut back on social spending and direct aid to the poor in some areas….
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