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Cuomo says do the "people's business" before pay raise

Governor Andrew Cuomo says if state lawmakers are looking for a pay raise in a post election session, they will have to accomplish some items on his agenda first.The governor says before state legislators ask him for a pay hike, as is expected once elections are finished, they will have to make progress on some unfinished business from the last legislative session first.   

Cuomo says he is seeking action on increasing the minimum wage, reforming New York City’s "stop and frisk" laws and decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana .

“The concept of a pay raise is, 'well, the legislature’s really done a good job,’” said Cuomo. And the governor went on to say the lawmakers would then have to “perform well.”

“To perform well means, in my book, to do the people’s business,” he said.  

Cuomo is not ruling out a pay hike. He has said in the past that his commissioners need a raise. He says the relatively low pay has been a barrier to hiring quality people.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.