State lawmakers announced a new plan to raise the sales tax to help bring new jobs to inner cities like Bridgeport Thursday.

The plan would raise the sales tax a half-percent, bringing it to nearly 7%. The raised tax could raise a projected $360 million next year.

Most of the extra money collected statewide would be redirected to struggling cities.

Customers at Westport Hardware say they're fine with paying a little more to help their neighbors.

"I would support that," says Amy Mandelbaum of Westport. "I feel like there are areas of this state that are underfunded."

Gov. Ned Lamont wants to expand the sales tax to include around three dozen additional items, like veterinary visits and Netflix, but he does not support the sales tax hike.

State Sen. Will Haskell says he isn't sold on a sales tax hike yet, but is willing to consider it.

"The well-being of Westport and Wilton and Weston and Ridgefield – the towns that I represent, and Bethel – it's intimately tied to the well-being of cities like Danbury and Norwalk and New Haven and Bridgeport," says Haskell.

The sales tax hike gets a public hearing on Monday.