Senate Holds Special Session ALBANY, NEW YORK (WXXI) - The New York State Senate will be in Albany for a rare Friday summer session. Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos is urging a yes vote on Governor Paterson's property tax cap proposal, which would limit school taxes to 4% a year, or 120% of the consumer price index.

Senator Skelos, who took over as Majority Leader in late June, says while he wants the tax cap enacted as soon as possible, it's "just one piece of the puzzle". Skelos says the Senate will also act on bills to limit school districts' ever increasing expenses for pensions. It would be similar to a cap on county Medicaid costs enacted a couple of years ago. Other measures would ban expensive unfunded mandates from the state, and allow schools to share services, including superintendents.

Because of former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's retirement, the Republicans will need the help of Minority Party Democrats to pass the bills. At a news conference, several Democratic Senators were non-committal, saying they'd be talking to the Republicans on Friday.

The Democrats were focusing on another topic that they say is of vital interest to New Yorkers- energy costs. They are proposing extending a heating assistance program, known as HEAP, for low income New Yorkers, to the middle class, earning up to $65,000 a year. They say it could be paid for through carbon permits purchased by industry. They also believe that homeowners should have access to no-interest loans to make their houses more energy efficient.

Senator Kevin Parker, of Brooklyn, ranking minority member on the Energy Committee, says without weatherization as a first step, "we're essentially throwing money out the window, literally" .

The Senate Democrats say they've been talking to Democrats in the state Assembly, who have their own energy plan, about working together.

The Assembly is not returning Friday to act on the property tax cap bill, and has no plans to pass it at this time. A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says the Speaker is open to the idea of a property tax cap, but does not want it to come at the expense of shortchanging schools and children out of needed funding.

The Assembly will be back on August 19th, along with the Senate once again, for a special session called by Governor Paterson on the state budget crisis. Paterson wants lawmakers to cut an additional $600 million dollars from the state budget.



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