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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jason Rarick (R)

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DEPUTY REGISTRARS, REP. RARICK FRUSTRATED BY MNLARS MESS

Thursday, March 8, 2018

ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota’s new licensing and registration system, MNLARS, has been a statewide nightmare despite nearly ten years of preparation and $100 million in expenses. Many deputy registrars have had difficulty processing applications and Minnesotans have been unable to obtain car titles and tabs in a timely manner.

 

Now state government officials have told lawmakers to send another $43 million to the program in order to keep it operational. State Representative Jason Rarick (R-Pine City) says that’s a problem.

 

“MNLARS has been a disaster since Day 1,” Rarick said. “At the end of February the agencies told us they needed another $10 million immediately. Many of us have difficulty believing them anymore, but at the same time we have to keep moving forward.”

 

The Dayton administration claimed to have no idea MNLARS was having problems. Yet a recent KMSP-TV investigative report found that three years ago a MNLARS analyst told the Governor’s Office directly that the program was not ready for launch, and warning signs of program failure were repeatedly ignored.

 

In response, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would allow the governor to reduce spending within his administration by $10 million in order to make the needed MNLARS down payment. It would give the governor authority to make reductions as determined by the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget in consultation with the Legislative Advisory Commission.

 

Another bill is also being introduced that directs the Commissioner of Public Safety to study the feasibility of using a commercial vendor to "develop, deploy, and maintain" a system to replace MNLARS.

 

Rarick, who serves on the Minnesota House Transportation Finance Committee, said most committee members are now looking for more accountability.

 

“The provisions we’re putting in demand accomplishments within a certain time frame, something that hasn’t existed for nearly a decade,” Rarick said. “Some lawmakers just want to blindly give them more money, but that’s not acceptable to me. When it comes to MNLARS, there have to be some strings attached and accountably added. We want to move forward, but it has to be done right