ATHENS, Ga. - April Johnson has tried to do the right things to provide for her two children, but she figures government action is needed to get her more income.

She has stayed married, paid for a six-week course to become a certified medical assistant and juggled two jobs simultaneously. Earning the minimum wage just doesn't bring in enough, she said. She wants to see the minimum wage rise.

On Monday, she took another step. She traveled from Augusta to Athens to take part in a rally in support of raising the state minimum wage. More than a dozen Democratic legislators came by to show their support.

Apparently, she's not alone in wanting the change. Nearly 90 percent of Georgians surveyed favor raising the state's minimum wage, according to results released during the rally.

Raising the minimum wage 41 percent, from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour, would boost the pay for more than 600,000 Georgians, as well as other workers whose pay is pegged to the minimum wage. That ripple effect is what Rep.-elect Doug McKillip, D-Athens, wants to start.

"We need to be progressive in Georgia," he said. "We need to get ahead of the federal government."

Congress is expected to pass a similar increase in the federal minimum wage next month. The state minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, the same as the current federal minimum, applies to companies that don't do business across state lines and have more than six workers.

State Sen. Robert Brown, D-Macon, announced that he will introduce a bill in the General Assembly to boost the state's minimum and to peg it to inflation so it will automatically rise in the future. He said the chances of success were enhanced by the poll.

The survey was conducted by the University of Georgia Survey Research Center between Sept. 25 and Oct. 11 among 600 adults and has a margin of error of 4 percent. Majorities from both sexes and all age groups and regions of the state supported the increase.

State Rep. Jerry Keen, R-St. Simons Island, the majority leader in the House, opposes the increase.

"I personally don't support it. You start eliminating part-time jobs for young people when you raise it," he said.

More than 100 organizations belong to the lobbying campaign, including religious, labor and social groups.