Hartford - Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday proposed increasing the state's minimum wage by $1.50 an hour and pegging future increases to the inflation rate.

The minimum wage, now $8.25 an hour, would rise to $9 on July 1 under their proposal, and to $9.75 on July 1, 2013. After that, the rate would adjust automatically each year in accordance with the Consumer Price Index to keep pace with rising living costs.

"It is important that the lowest (paid) workers in our society get a boost in the minimum wage on a regular basis," House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, said in announcing the legislation for the General Assembly session, which begins Feb. 8.

He was joined at the news conference by organized labor representatives and several House Democrats, including State Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington, and Betsy Ritter, D-Waterford.

The group said it is getting harder to raise a family in Connecticut or even to support oneself when earning only minimum wage.

About 106,000 Connecticut workers are paid the minimum wage, which last increased in January 2010 and works out to $17,160 a year for full-time work, officials said.

The state's median hourly wage was $19.56 in 2010, and yearly wages averaged $51,920, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"We are one of the highest per-capita income (states) in the country," Urban said. "We need to do the right thing."

Connecticut is also one of 18 states with a minimum wage above the federal requirement of $7.25 an hour. Lawmakers said that 10 states already have pegged their minimum wage to the price index as a protection against inflation. Democrats in New York's Legislature on Monday began trying to increase their state's minimum hourly wage from $7.50 to $8.50 and to index it to the inflation rate.

Lori Pelletier, secretary-treasurer of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, described the indexing proposal as "tying future increases not to the whim of political parties, but to the cost of living."

At least one business group is opposed to the minimum wage plan.

"It's a bad idea wrapped in good intentions," said Andrew Markowski, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents a wide variety of businesses, from retailers to manufacturers. "It's going to make Connecticut further isolated in the region and the country and it's going to make us less economically competitive."

But supporters said they don't think boosting the minimum wage would deter businesses from hiring or worsen the state's 8.2 percent unemployment rate.

Urban said she has studied the economics of the minimum wage and believes that as long as the increase is not more than 10 percent at once, there will not be a negative impact on employment.

The Democrats' proposal initially would raise minimum wage by 75 cents - a 9 percent increase.

However, Urban said, increasing the minimum wage could make it harder for teenagers to find part-time work.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy distanced himself from the idea during a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing, "this is not my initiative," although he is not "saying no."

In a follow-up statement, the governor's spokesman noted how Malloy signed significant legislation last year to benefit working families: a state-based Earned Income Tax Credit and mandatory paid sick leave for many workers.

"While he certainly supports the ideals behind this legislation, we must be mindful of the needs of businesses, especially given the current economic climate," spokesman Andrew Doba said.

j.reindl@theday.com