The deadline for state lawmakers to reach a deal on the state budget is Friday, and the governor's proposal to raise the minimum wage is so far proving to be a sticking point.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo got through several big proposals following tense budget discussions over the years, including same-sex marriage and the property tax cap. This year, there are still disagreements over the $15 wage hike proposal as the budget deadline looms.

As News 12 has reported, the current minimum wage is $9 per hour. Cuomo's proposal would raise it by a dollar a year until it reaches $15 per hour in July of 2021.

After a nearly two-hour closed-door meeting, Senate Republicans said Monday there is no consensus yet with the Assembly on the minimum wage and other issues. Republican lawmakers say the increases are too quick and too steep, and they're afraid small businesses will take a hit.

Many small business owners on Long Island agree, saying they're already faced with rising expenses and will have to raise prices.

But Cuomo is pushing hard on the issue, and supporters have spent months rallying around the state for the measure.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) says some kind of increase is inevitable, but he says both sides need to find a middle ground. "What is being talked about now for Long Island is phasing it in over a longer period of time, say six years," Thiele told News 12.

Also being proposed are a series of tax credits for small businesses and for farmers to soften the impact that a hike in the minimum wage could bring.

The latest News12/Hofstra poll shows that most Long Islanders support raising the minimum wage. A total of 65 percent of responders said they support raising it to $15 an hour, while 30 percent said they do not support the plan. Another 5 percent said they didn't know.