The Siena Research Institute is reporting Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a 51 to 43 percent favorability rating among registered voters, up from a negative favorability rating in November. Both houses of the legislature saw a surge in their favorability, starting the year with stronger favorability ratings than Cuomo, according to a new Siena College poll of New York registered voters. At the same time, New Yorkers disapprove by a margin of 57 to 35 percent, the recent decision by the pay raise commission to increase the salary of legislators and restrict their outside income and limit stipends. And among those polled, 80 percent say the Legislature should not approve the commission's recommendations. Infrastructure has taken the place of taxes as the top issue that voters want the governor to focus on this year, according to the poll. And both legislative leaders are largely unknown to more than two-thirds of voters. "Speaker Carl Heastie has a nearly break-even 14 to 15 percent favorability rating, while Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has a 20 to 12 percent favorability rating,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said. The survey of 805 registered New York voters was conducted over a four-day period beginning Jan. 6. Read the full press release at Siena [dot] edu [slash] SCRI.