Albany

As students begin preparing to cram for end-of-the-year tests, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is making a legislative crunch-time push to get an education investment tax credit through the Legislature.

The governor appeared with Cardinal Timothy Dolan on Long Island and in Buffalo on Tuesday to call on lawmakers to approve the controversial measure, which has a new family-friendly name: the Parental Choice in Education Act.

Cuomo's plan for the EITC, as it's known at the Capitol, is to provide tax credits of up to 75 percent for individual and business donations to public schools and non-profits that support public educational programs, and credits for up to 75 percent of donations to non-profit organizations that award scholarships to students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

He also wants $70 million in credits for families with incomes less than $60,000 per year that could be used for up to $500 in tuition expenses per student to send kids to non-public and out-of-district public schools.

Another $10 million in credits would be used for up to $200 per public school teacher to help them buy instructional materials and school supplies.

In total, Cuomo's plan is valued at $150 million.

The governor said during his Long Island visit that the plan is about giving parents the option of where to send their children by helping keep schools funded.

The EITC has been a thorny issue in Albany. Legislation approving the tax credit passed the state Republican-controlled Senate this year, albeit on the same day Cuomo proposed the linkage of a modified version of the credit and the DREAM Act, which would make higher education funding available to undocumented immigrants.

Assembly Democrats support the DREAM Act but generally oppose the EITC, inverting the Senate GOP's stances. Both items fell off the table during budget negotiations.

Sen. John Flanagan, the new Senate majority leader, and the former chair of the Senate Education Committee, said he spoke briefly with the governor about his latest proposal.

"It would be foolish of me to suggest it's going to be our way or the highway," Flanagan said. "The governor, to the best of my knowledge, added a component that would allow for a parental deduction for tuition. I think that will engender considerable support. ... This will make a lot of other people find it more appealing."

That's not to say passage of the credit is a sure bet. It's thought that other policies, including New York City rent regulations, the 421-a tax break program for real estate developers and mayoral control of New York City schools, are the higher on lawmakers's priority list with the session set to end June 17.

In his Long Island remarks, Cuomo once again rebuked the education "bureaucracy" — usually read as shorthand for teachers unions and their allies — for blocking the EITC.

A group of public education advocates quickly released a statement calling the measure a scheme to divert millions of dollars from public education.

"Even with a substantial school aid increase this year, nearly one-third of the state's school districts will have less state aid in 2015-16 than six years ago," New York State United Teachers union Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta said in the statement. "Investing adequately and equitably in public education, not providing more tax giveaways to the wealthy who prefer private education, should be the state's top priority."

Political theater aside, most of the Long Island event at least did not address Albany politics.

"Students, we love you, we're doing this for you," said Dolan, an advocate for both the EITC and the DREAM Act, said. " ... You're given an excellent education, and you know when something is logical or not. This bill, this initiative ... this issue is so logical and so compelling."

mhamilton@timesunion.com • 518-454-5449 • @matt_hamilton10