Despite all the good feelings that came at the close of business for the Legislature in June, New York state government isn’t approach end of history status anytime soon.

Next year’s legislative session is fraught with political mindfields: the redrawing of legislative boundaries for state and federal offices, a contentious debate over natural gas extraction, selling a multibillion plan to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge and, of course, the state budget.

It’s also an election year, with all 212 legislative seats open.

Cuomo, making his second radio appearance — this time on The Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter — acknowledged as such.

“The economic calculus is just as difficult as last year,” he said. “The political environment is much, much harder.”

The talk dominating the Capitol today is a possible revamping of the tax code, a move that would possibly make for higher taxes on the wealthy. As he did with Fred Dicker, Cuomo insisted he has no formal plans — yet.

“I haven’t made any decisions,” he said. “I haven’t made any conclusions.”

Cuomo insisted that he continues to enjoy good relations with the legislative conferences in the Assembly in Senate. Maybe so. But those relationships are sure to be strained next year.

The governor hasn’t taken a firm position himself on hydrofracking, a controversial natural gas extraction process. Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed concern over the process, which environmentalists say can harm the state’s water supply.

Meanwhile, the governor would have to cajole lawmakers in the GOP-led Senate, which has a two-seat majority, to go along with a hypotethical tax code change that could translate to a tax increase.

Not to say that can’t happen: He convinced Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to go along with property tax cap while Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos allowed same-sex marriage to go to the floor for a successful vote.

But next year is different as sharp elbows will be thrown on a daily, if not hourly basis, as redistricting continues to hang over the Capitol. Cuomo has said he would veto lines he considers unfair or partisan, but majorities in both houses will likely try to hold on some semblance of the traditional system that helps insulate incumbents.

Cuomo told Arbetter today that his daughter noticed increasingly gray hairs on his head. We’re all going to age pretty rapidly come 2012.

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