Cleaning up the MNLARS Mess, REAL ID, and What's Next
Earlier this year we received good news regarding REAL ID: Minnesota was granted a grace period by the Department of Homeland Security that will ensure Minnesota drivers licenses can continue to be used to board airplanes and enter federal buildings until at least October 10, 2018.
I am thankful that the efforts this past session to pass the REAL ID bill I authored and was signed into law by Governor Dayton is coming to full realization with this extension granted by the federal government. The focus now shifts to the troubled Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS) to ensure the implementation of the REAL ID law moves forward and a REAL ID is in the hand of any Minnesotan who wants one.
During the 2018 session, the House has also enshrined in Minnesota law protections to make sure the Dayton Administration will work towards implementing the law in the best interest of the people of Minnesota.
MNLARS is the system that the Minnesota Department of Public Safety has spent a decade preparing to transition to for our DMV services. Since the outset of the implementation of the system this year, it has been met with severe bugs and glitches. This has caused long delays and service center outages for days at a time. Despite these problems, Governor Dayton has insisted things were working fine and the problems had been dealt with.
However, it has become clear over the past few months that MNLARS continues to experience serious technological difficulties. As a lawmaker, it is frustrating to hear from constituents who are being let down by software that was simply not ready for primetime despite $90 million spent over the course of the past decade.
Last summer, the House launched a website aimed at collecting and organizing complaints from concerned citizens. We're proud of the efforts by House staff and staff at DPS who have helped to resolve dozens of complaints submitted through the website. We simply want MNLARS to work as promised.
Just this past week, the House passed a bill, almost unanimously, to provide aid to deputy registrars to help offset the numerous costs incurred following the rollout of MNLARS. Through no fault of their own deputy registrars suffered delays, slow processing times, and a need to staff for overtime work all due to MNLARS. We needed to make these hardworking registrars across the state whole.
Minnesotans need and expect to have a functioning DMV. With the work ahead and what we have already done to move forward with REAL ID, it is far too important to Minnesotans for this failure to continue.
- Rep. Dennis Smith
District 34B, Maple Grove & Osseo