Senator Newman on MNLARS Independent Review

(St. Paul, MN) Today the Independent Review on MNLARS provided their recommendations on the troubled licensing system. Rick King, Chair of the Blue Ribbon Council (BRC), led the Independent Review and concluded MNLARS will be replaced by a package software because the risks to continue with MNLARS outweighed the benefits.

“This finding allows us to move forward to fix one of the worst headaches state government has seen,” said Senator Scott Newman (R- Hutchinson), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee said. “I’m glad the Governor has been willing to review and change course on MNLARS. We certainly expect better results with the next steps and will work with the Governor in a collaborative effort to deliver the results that Minnesotans deserve.”

In March 2019, the Senate passed with bipartisan support, and Governor Walz signed legislation that provided funds for immediate system maintenance to MNLARS, provided contractual obligations for MNLARS, and an required an independent review of the MNLARS software. The bill was the impetus behind the review that led to today’s report.

Watch the Press Conference here.