Friends and neighbors —
Big issues before the legislature like taxes, crime, and bonding projects are generally what capture news headlines, but governing is about much more than just those issues. A lot of times, small changes can make a big difference in people’s lives.
A few years ago, I wrote a bill aimed at tackling the headache of renewing your license tabs. Nobody enjoys waiting in long lines at the DMV just for a tab renewal. Moving some of these transactions online has helped, but you still have to wait weeks or months to get your tabs in the mail.
My bill created a pilot program allowing Minnesotans to purchase their license tabs and replacement license plates from fully-automated kiosks. It is about as common sense as it gets – these kiosks have been an option in a number of neighboring states for a while, and Minnesota needs to catch up. I am proud to say that pilot program has been extremely successful, and now it is expanding to other areas. Anoka County is installing three of these kiosks at Cub Foods around their county. It is only a matter of time before this option is available statewide.