AUGUSTA (AP) – Democratic House and Senate leaders met with Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday to discuss new initiatives for next year’s legislative session. After their meeting with the Democratic chief executive, the majority party lawmakers did not rule out an attempt at action even earlier.

At the same time, participants said, no one committed to anything and additional talks are expected.

“No firm plans yet,” Baldacci said.

Joining the governor for the session were Senate President Beth Edmonds, House Speaker Glenn Cummings and the majority leaders of the House and Senate, Rep. Hannah Pingree and Sen. Elizabeth Mitchell.

Edmonds, exiting the governor’s office, did not go into detail. But the Freeport lawmaker spoke of a general interest in planning ways to “tie up loose ends” left over from this year’s regular session, when in one notable development a late effort to overhaul the state tax code foundered.

Cummings rejected a suggestion that the governor was uninterested in tax reform.

“I think from this discussion he’s very serious about it,” the Portland Democrat said.

Cummings said the talks had touched inconclusively on the desirability of waiting until January to resume action or taking up new proposals in a special session later this year.

He also said ideas under discussion included spending controls and an income tax reduction, as well as some shift in the control of local jails from the counties to the state.

Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, called Wednesday’s discussions with the governor a “beginning.”

The Democratic lawmakers said they would confer among themselves on Thursday and report back to Baldacci next week.

Baldacci, who has also met with Republican leaders recently, said he was “encouraged” by his consultations with the Democrats but offered no specifics.

“We have to continue to look at administrative efficiencies, we have to look at restructuring, … reducing administrative costs,” he said. “And our citizens need tax relief.”

Officials announced separately Wednesday that the Maine Senate will convene on the morning of Sept. 20 for voting on confirmation of various Baldacci appointments.

Maine’s new state budget, $6.3 billion over two years in General Fund money, counts on a little more than $10 million in savings that have not yet been specified.

The Appropriations Committee has given state agencies until the end of the week to suggest ways to meet – in fact, more than meet – the savings target.

The committee is looking for $30 million in savings suggestions.

Meanwhile, communities around the state face an Aug. 31 deadline for filing their initial school system consolidation reports.

The consolidation plan is designed to reduce the state’s 152 school administrative systems to 80. First-year state savings have been pegged at $36.5 million.

Upcoming as part of a series of community deadlines is an end-of-August requirement for notifying the state of merger plans.

Final organization plans are due by Dec. 1, and by Jan. 15, 2008, cities and towns would be expected to vote on whether to approve mergers.

AP-ES-08-22-07 1414EDT