In response to a Pioneer Press report detailing an internal memo that instructs Driver and Vehicle Services employees to, among other things, “focus…on speed rather than detail right now”, Senator Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson), chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee, issued the following statement:

“Unfortunately, today’s Pioneer Press report highlights the troublesome reality of what is happening within Governor Dayton’s Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Driver and Vehicle Services. This internal memo, coupled with the significant staff shakeup last week, further confirms what we have been saying since this summer – the entire rollout of the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS) has been a $90 million failure.

“The pressure is really being brought to bear on DPS to fix this mess – and they are truly struggling. Minnesotans have been caught in the crosshairs of this debacle for months, and the department’s remedy should not be sacrificing quality for speed. As a state, we should be looking forward toward making this right, not going backwards.”

Senator Scott Newman is in his third term representing Senate District 18, which includes communities in McLeod, Meeker, Sibley, and Wright counties. He also serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.