On Wednesday, Rick King, chair of the Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology, joined Gov. Tim Walz and a bipartisan group of legislators to announce the findings of their independent review of the troubled Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS). The Blue Ribbon Council concluded that the best course of action is to replace MNLARS and move forward with software contracted from the private sector. The Council found the risks of continuing to use the MNLARS system outweighed the benefits.

Senator Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) issued the following statement:

“The Blue Ribbon Council’s review confirms what the Senate has been concerned about MNLARS for some time; that the program is unable to serve the residents of this state and is a waste of money going forward. Since the first sign of trouble, the Minnesota Senate has led the way on keeping MN.IT and MNLARS transparent and accountable to the taxpayers. That will not change, no matter what system we move forward with.”

In March 2019, the Senate passed, and Gov. Walz signed, legislation that provided funds for immediate system maintenance to MNLARS, provided contractual obligations for MNLARS and required an independent review of the MNLARS software. The bill was the impetus behind the review that led to today’s report to go to the private sector and, other than maintenance, end the waste of money on MNLARS.

Watch the Press Conference here.