ALBANY — The rallying cry of "no new plates" has apparently reached the ears of New York's top elected officials.

Gov. David Paterson said Sunday that he would drop support of a plan to require vehicle owners to pay for new license plates if state legislators work with him to find other ways to generate revenue.

The license plate plan announced last week had been expected to raise $129 million by requiring vehicle owners to pay $25 to buy new plates starting next year, but the idea was immediately scorned by New Yorkers across the state, who have been hit with historic tax increases to fight a state fiscal crisis amid a recession.

Democratic and Republican leaders of the Assembly say they will work to repeal the measure passed in April as part of the state budget.

Online petition
More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition at www.nonewplates.com that St. Lawrence County Clerk Patricia Ritchie put up to protest the new license plate plan. She is scheduled to deliver it to Albany today.

"They've cried, 'Enough!' with the new taxes, fees, mandates and inconvenience that this license plate plan creates for their families in already difficult times," said Ritchie, who is president of the state Association of County Clerks. "They've shared their moving stories of sacrifices they've had to make, and how they just can't handle one more needless expense."

The Senate's Democratic majority raised the issue a week ago through its upstate caucus pushing into talks over the current deficit reduction plan, even though revenue from the plates wouldn't be received until next year. Now, the Senate has an understanding that if they find additional resources the plan will be dropped, said Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran.

"If the Legislature works with me, prior to the release of the 2010-11 Executive Budget, to identify real, recurring savings that will replace the revenue that would be lost, I will eliminate the new license plate requirement," Paterson stated.

The state faces a $3.2 billion deficit that could run as high as $9 billion in the 2010-11 budget due April 1, by Paterson's estimate.

In a joint statement, Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Republican leader Brian Kolb said they agreed to repeal the requirement that all New York vehicle owners obtain the new yellow plates after April 1.

They said Paterson is "committed to this repeal, and we will work with him."

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos called it a "lame-brained plan" by the Democrats "to force people to pay for new license plates that they don't need."

The Republicans sought to repeal the measure and opposed it in April.

The new plates were to be required for each of the estimated 10 million cars, trucks, trailers and ATVs registered in the state at a cost of $25 — a $10 increase over the current cost. To keep the plate number would cost another $20. This would be on top of a 25 percent increase in the driver's license and registration fees that took effect in September.