Gov. Kathy Hochul was supportive Friday of lawmakers returning to Albany for a special session to vote to raise their salaries after multiple legislative sources have said legislative leaders are weighing a pay increase.

Lawmakers can only vote to raise the salaries of a future Legislature. If they do not vote for an increase before Dec. 31, a future raise won't take effect until the next Legislature takes office in 2025.

"I believe they deserve a pay raise. They've worked extraordinarily hard," the governor said Friday.

Any raises adopted before the end of the year would take effect when the new Legislature commences in January. 

Hochul spoke with reporters after the Metro-North Penn Station groundbreaking in the Bronx.

"It's a year-round job," she continued of state representatives. "I've been with them many times in their districts and they work very hard and they desrve it."

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Thursday did not rule out calling lawmakers back for a special session this month to legislate the raise for lawmakers. But he reiteraterd several times the conversation is not happening "at this moment." 

The governor is leaving the decision up to leaders who oversee both chambers of the Legislature.

"It's up to them if they want to come back and make that effective," Hochul said.