Gov. David Paterson today announced his agenda for the Wednesday extraordinary session for which plans to issue a proclamation tomorrow calling state lawmakers back to Albany at the height of their summer vacation – and campaign season.

The governor’s agenda includes 10 bills that will be delivered to the Legislature later this week.

Atop the list is the revised revenue legislation that he tried to send to the Assembly and Senate – and saw summarily rejected – after the Senate departed the Capitol for the July 4th holiday weekend without passing the final piece of the two-way legislative budget deal.

Also on the list, which, as you’ll recall, the governor cannot force the Legislature to take up after he forces them back to work this week, are the following:

- A property tax cap. (Also delivered along with the revenue bill on July 13 and rejected by the Legislature). The measure would establish a school district and local government property tax levy cap that would limit tax levy growth to the lesser of four percent or 120 percent of the annual increase in the consumer price index.

The tax cap would apply to all school districts other than the “Big Five,” and to all counties, cities (other than New York City), towns, villages, special districts and fire districts.

- An amendment version of Paterson’s SUNY empowerment plan (also rejected on July 13) that would would allow differential tuition for certain doctoral campuses at a maximum of seven percent, annual general tuition increases at a maximum of four percent, and increase the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) ceiling starting in State Fiscal Year 2011-12 to $5,000 plus 60 percent of the difference between $5,000 and the maximum resident undergraduate SUNY/CUNY tuition.

- An FMAP contingency plan that would reduce state agency undisbursed appropriations by up to $1.085 billion in a uniform manner and placing these savings in a contingency fund “lock box”.

- An amended Article VII Education, Labor, and Family Assistance (ELFA) budget bill to replace the legislation vetoed by Paterson earlier this month. (This measure would mirror what the governor proposed in his original executive budget).

- Paterson’s Energize New York legislation, which has already passed by the Senate 59-2. This is a permanent jobs retention and creation program to replace the Power for Jobs program. Additional information can be found here.

- An amended version of the so-called “fat tax” on sugary beverages.

- Paterson’s amended wine in grocery stores legislation.

- A chapter amendment to the bill signed last week by Paterson that will require the oil industry to reduce the amount of sulfur in the fuel oil used to heat New York homes and businesses. The chapter amendment would ensure that tax exempt status of heating fuel oil is maintained.

- A chapter amendment to the illegal hotels bill signed into law by the governor last Friday. This chapter amendment would change the effective date of the law to May 1, 2011, allowing property holders, business owners and not-for-profit corporations the time to adjust the uses of their properties to the provisions of this law, or to dispose of the properties at issue so that they may find alternate sites for their current uses.

I’ve spoken to sources in both the Assembly and Senate today, and have been told that an agreement on FMAP is possible, particularly since it appears very clear now after last week’s vote by the US Senate on the unemployment benefits bill that the $1.7 billion worth of Medicaid funding expected by NYC and the state in this budget cycle won’t be coming any time soon.

The SUNY plan remains a sticking point, although there’s some early talk that Silver might be willing to give on a few issues. (No details as of yet on this).

Meanwhile, Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran released the following statement form Sampson

“To give New York a budget that works for our people we have to work together.”

“That is why I have been meeting with Speaker Silver and speaking with Governor Paterson to resolve the outstanding issues with the budget, create jobs through SUNY empowerment, and provide property tax relief.”

“The Senate is ready to finalize a fair and responsible budget and looks forward to working with the Governor and Assembly to get the job done.”

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