Janison: Gov. Cuomo runs the table

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo won a clean sweep of the goals he set for his first legislative session.

And in Albany, that is no small feat.

To the shock of many, the final and most emotionally-charged triumph came Friday night when Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) allowed gay marriage to be voted on. It was approved 33-29.

Knowing that he'd just completed the Capitol version of running the table, Cuomo declared: "I truly believe that this state is on a different trajectory than it was six months ago."

Other major bills approved by both houses in the final rush to finish for summer included: first-ever limits on property-tax hikes; changes at the state university that include phased-in tuition hikes; fuller ethics disclosure; and an easier way to site power plants.

One habitually skeptical political pro said privately yesterday that regardless of whether you agreed with his goals, there was no candid way to avoid crediting Cuomo for getting his way -- even if legislation comprises only part of what a governor does.

Other tests will come in whether his development strategies can create jobs in the state's sagging economy, how state agencies serve the public, mounting pension costs, and the day-to-day crises that arise in a sprawling $132-billion-plus-per-year government. Redistricting also looms.

New York City Councilman Mark Weprin of Queens, a Democrat who served in the Assembly for 15 years until last year and has known the governor since childhood, said: "I assume he'll now put the same energy into running the state as he did pushing his legislative agenda. I've never seen a governor have a better year than this."

What might the next challenges entail? "Obviously these are tough economic times, and while Andrew has a lot of weapons at his disposal, I don't think a magic wand is one of them," Weprin said. "But certainly he's been across the state and understands the problems."

Before the cameras Friday, with the whole world watching, Cuomo found himself in a solid position to do only what executives in a strong position will do -- hail others' courage.

In 2009, when Democrats held the Senate majority, a gay marriage bill was voted down. The governor was David A. Paterson, who until 2006 led those same Senate Democrats as their minority leader.

Cuomo alluded to this Friday only to praise Paterson as a champion of the change. "Sometimes justice is an evolutionary process," he said. Cuomo also noted the sharp shift in public opinion on the topic over time.

Strategic thinking helped, too. The religious and free-speech provisos negotiated into the final bill ultimately allayed enough Republican concerns to hold a conscience vote, in the vein of capital punishment or abortion.

Rookie years can be the strong ones for executives. In March 1995, new Gov. George Pataki fulfilled one of his central campaign vows by signing a death penalty bill into law. That June, Pataki also won a harder and more extended fight with the bipartisan legislature, coming away with cuts in spending, income taxes and business taxes.

This year, the wind has been at Cuomo's back. His poll numbers remain high. He has support in powerful circles. The public expects fiscal austerity at a time when budget-balancing becomes his challenge.

Still, Cuomo can and will credibly say he aggressively followed through on the agenda he presented. Set against endless tales of gridlock, scandal and buffoonery in New York's capital, these agreements add up to a pretty big deal.