Democratic leaders in the New Jersey legislature have decided to pursue a minimum wage hike that includes annual increases based on the rate of inflation.

Senate President Steve Sweeney expects lawmakers will vote by the end of the year on a measure sponsored by the Assembly Speaker that would raise the base wage from $7.25 to $8.50 and provide yearly automatic increases.

 “We will put a bill on the governor’s desk that he has the option of signing. If he strips the CPI from it, we will move forward with a constitutional amendment to raise whatever minimum wage he didn’t raise and add the CPI to it.”

The constitutional amendment would have to be approved by lawmakers two years a row before it goes before voters.

Sweeney says yearly cost of living increases are needed because there are plenty of families working two and three minimum wage jobs just to get by.