ALBANY (AP) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing raising the minimum wage to $8.75 an hour from the current $7.25.

In his State of the State address Wednesday, the first-term Democratic governor says New Yorkers at the low end of the income ladder should earn more.

The increase is supported by powerful Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat. Republicans who control the Senate prefer business tax breaks to spur the economy.

A person earning minimum wage in New York makes $14,616 a year.

Cuomo notes the minimum wage in 19 states, including neighbors in Connecticut, Vermont, and Massachusetts, is higher than New York.

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