By Mike DeNardo

TRENTON, N. J. (CBS) – There is a maximum battle over the minimum wage in New Jersey.

Governor Christie is calling “truly ridiculous” State Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s bill to amend the state constitution to tie New Jersey’s minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index.

Christie says he won’t sign a bill that indexes minimum wage hikes. But Sweeney’s bill would bypass Christie and put the amendment on the ballot for voters next year.

“I’m not going to let the governor just decide, ‘Well, I’ll do a 30-cent raise and you should be happy.’ The people that work hard deserve better than this. And we want to ensure that it happens,” Sweeney says.

New Jersey’s minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2005. Sweeney wants future hikes tied to the CPI, because, he says you can’t count on politicians to do the right thing.