All Over Albany

Paterson says state worker furloughs possible, new parking ticket system for Albany, hockey team close to moving to TU Center, snow in Adirondacks

David Paterson said yesterday he will introduce a measure that furlough state employees one day a week until the new budget is passed. Paterson said health and safety employees would be exempt, as would management confidential employees because their annual raise has already been eliminated. The state budget director said about 100,000 state workers would be subject to the furlough. The move would save the state $30 million a week. The Paterson administration says it plans to introduce the furlough measure as stand alone legislation -- but said it also could be tacked on to an emergency budget bill. PEF's president called the proposal "illegal" and the head of CSEA issued a response to the idea that simply read "Nuts" (he also said the union wouldn't "just roll over and play dead"). It doesn't sound like the legislature is too keen on the idea, either. [Paterson press release] [TU] [NYT City Room] [PEF press release] [CSEA press release] [WTEN] [Fox23]

Paterson is also asking the legislature to vote his most recent budget proposal up or down. [YNN]

A state Assembly bill would make New York a "presumed consent" state for organ donations. That is, everyone would be presumed to be an organ donor unless they had specified otherwise. [TU] [AP/WNYT]

The City of Albany has a new computer system for handling parking tickets. The city treasurer says the new system will be more accountable. Among the details that can be stored in the system's database: images of the parking violation. [TU] [Fox23] [WTEN]

The chairman of NYSTI's board says "we believe in according Dr. Snyder a measure of due process as we fully evaluate the Inspector General's findings." A letter sent to the board from 24 NYSTI employees expressed "unqualified support" for Patricia Snyder. [Daily Gazette $] [Troy Record]

Police say an Albany woman set fire to an apartment in alleged attempt to get back at another woman. Everyone got out safely. [TU] [YNN]

A third person has been arrested for the incidents surrounding the fatal hit-and-run in downtown Saratoga. Police say the man used a knife during a fight before the hit-and-run. [TU] [Saratogian]

Ayerious Benson, the 18-year-old accused of shooting and killing a man at the Corliss Park Apartments in Troy, has pleaded not guilty. [Troy Record]

The Capital Region's air is getting cleaner, according to a report from the American Lung Association. [TU] [ALA]

The potential sale of the Uncle Sam parking garage in Troy has apparently stalled again. [Troy Record]

Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing for national standards for graduated driver's licenses. [AP/WNYT]

The New Jersey Devils are apparently very close to moving their minor league team to the TU Center. The arena says it's received a letter of intent from the team. [TU] [WTEN]

The Schenectady school district says test results have helped it shape its reading curriculum to better help students. [Daily Gazette $]

The Railex trains that run from the West Coast to the distribution center in Rotterdam now include more than 150 cars. [Daily Gazette $]

It snowed today in the Adirondacks and Vermont. [AP/CBS6]