ALBANY - Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said Wednesday he and his Republican colleagues will oppose any new taxes and fees as part of their legislative priorities in 2007 and will hold governor-elect Eliot Spitzer to his campaign promises.

During the campaign, Spitzer proposed a plan to cut $6 billion in property taxes and said he would not raise taxes or increase state debt. Spitzer's plan would provide $1.5 billion in property tax relief next year, $2 billion in 2008 and $2.5 billion in 2009, all targeted at middle class families.

“The governor-elect is encouraged by the agenda laid out by the Senate and looks forward to working with Senator Bruno and the Senate to accomplish these important initiatives,” said Christine Anderson, spokeswoman for Spitzer.

Bruno, the Legislature's most powerful Republican, said he will push for even more property tax cuts, tougher Medicaid fraud laws and will oppose “gratuitous” funding cuts to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers.

He also pledged to invest in projects to spur job growth in upstate New York and work to boost school funding around the state.

Charles Carrier, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said the Assembly was “looking forward in the coming legislative session to working with Governor-elect Spitzer and the Senate” on a number of issues, including universal pre-kindergarten classes, comprehensive health care for the uninsured, campaign finance reform and providing billions more in funding to public schools mandated under a recent court decision.

AP-ES-11-22-06 1709EST