Earlier today 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.

State Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) issued the following statement:

“The findings of the Blue Ribbon Council represent an important shift. Virtually since the time that MNLARS was released, Senate Republicans have been advocating for changes similar to the guidance offered by the Council today, but those changes have mostly been dismissed. Gov. Walz’s sincere interest in figuring out a solution to this ongoing problem is encouraging, and I look forward to working with him, as well as colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the legislature, to implement the Council’s recommendations.”

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.

Watch the Press Conference here.