NEW YORK – Starting this week, drivers may start to see the new gold and blue New York State license plates appearing on the road.

The new design was one of Gov. David Paterson’s proposals to curb the state’s budget deficit but his bid to make the plates mandatory was defeated by state politicians and county clerks who rallied with a disgruntled public over the unpopular move.

“While the mandatory reissuance of license plates has been recalled, the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) will begin issuing Empire Gold (blue and gold) plates on April 1. The current Empire (blue and white) plates will be phased out. The state has told us to use up the last of our stocks before handing out the new ones,” said Chenango County Clerk Mary C. Weidman.

Weidman said the DMV will hand out the new plates on request. “What the state is encouraging us to do is sell off limited stock of the blue and whites. Currently, we have enough to get us to the end of the year,” said Weidman.