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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Faith leaders from all over New York State are calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State Senate to raise the minimum wage. That's why Wednesday Central New York pastors presented their petition to raise minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour to Senator DeFrancisco's Syracuse office.

The petition is signed by 67 faith leaders from all over Central New York. The Senate has refused to bring the issue to the floor. Local clergy hope the petition will incite change.

"No one who goes to work regularly should have to live in poverty. Just about every faith tradition I know anything about has some sort of basic tenet of laborers deserving their wages. And it's immoral for person to get exceedingly wealthy off the backs of individuals who cannot afford to feed their families on a daily or weekly basis," said Rev. Kevin Agee, the Hopps Memorial CME Church Pastor.

This is the last week for the issue to be brought to the floor before the legislative session ends July 1st.