ALBANY — State Police are scrambling to find the author of menacing messages — threatening schoolkids, lawmakers and journalists — sent yesterday to numerous legislative offices in Albany.

The e-mail bearing the subject line “Time to Kill” cites Wednesday’s state-budget vote, mocks the protesters who crowded the Capitol and threatens violence to get the attention of “the hardened criminals who rule Albany.”

“At first I thought I might pull out a gun at my state office and kill a bunch of these dummies that I work with,” reads the note, signed “John Doe.” “Understand with whom you are dealing. I am not crazy. I am a terrorist.”

There was no clue the e-mail was an April Fools’ prank and authorities said they were taking it seriously.