Supporters of increasing taxes on upper-income New Yorkers are continuing to push for the income tax hike as the state budget talks drag nearly two weeks past the April 1 deadline.

Advocates on Monday in Albany rallied for the tax plan, which Democrats in the state Legislature have supported in the budget talks, but is resisted by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Lawmakers want to increase tax rates on those who earn more than $5 million a year, while also boosting the state's minimum wage for low-income workers. Hochul has supported indexing the minimum wage to inflation, but is opposed to income tax hikes as part of a broader budget plan.

The state budget itself has stalled over negotiations surrounding Hochul's support for changing New York's bail law to curtail the use of a least restrictive standard when judges determine bail for serious criminal charges.

Tax talk has, publicly at least, not dominated the discussions. But supporters pointed to the tax-the-rich push as a key plank for the budget.

“The governor has demonstrated that she is willing to hold up a $230 billion budget to do the bidding of her billionaire supporters while working-class New Yorkers continue to be crushed by the unaffordability crisis,” said Charles Khan, the organizing director of Strong Economy for All, which is part of the Invest in Our New York Campaign. “She might be trying to run out the clock, but we know the clock doesn’t run out on the people we care about and the services they rely on. We are here outside of the War Room to remind the Governor that working-class people are watching and we are expecting her to deliver a final budget that puts our interests first.”

Lawmakers on Monday approved a week-long extension of a temporary state spending measure in order to pay state workers and keep the government open while the talks continue. Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, have been critical of proposals to raise taxes in the budget as the discussions continue through this month.

"New York’s budget process, even under ideal circumstances, is already challenging thanks to the misguided agenda of legislative leadership," said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay. "Once complete, residents can expect a final bill upwards of $230 billion, which would represent yet another spending record for the state. The only thing worse than a late budget put together under rushed, secretive negotiations is one that also disregards basic fiscal responsibility – this budget will likely do both."