AUGUSTA (AP) – Gov. John Baldacci, who indicated earlier that a late-summer special session on bonds and tax reform could be held, now says the session is not likely.

“I’m not planning on a special session unless there’s a bipartisan agreement on what’s going to happen,” Baldacci told Portland-area business representatives Wednesday.

The governor said at the close of the legislative session in late April that lawmakers could be summoned back to the State House in late August to take up bond proposals and property tax relief.

With legislative campaigns for the House and Senate gaining momentum, there now appears to be little call for a session this summer.

“There’s no plans at this time by myself to have the Legislature come back in unless there’s a bipartisan agreement,” Baldacci said. “It will probably be sometime in January before anybody begins to look at these issues.”

House Speaker Patrick Colwell, D-Gardiner, blamed Republicans for a lack of agreement on bonds and tax reform during the 2004 session.

“If they’re interested in getting something done, we’re interested in coming in but it doesn’t appear that they are,” Colwell said.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, said he never favored the Democratic tax proposal or bond package and wouldn’t miss not being in a special session in August.

“I don’t see any point in it,” he said. “I don’t see why we can’t do it in January.”

AP-ES-06-03-04 0812EDT