Republican Senator Scott Newman from Hutchinson expects Governor Tim Walz in his budget plan tomorrow will ask lawmakers for 50 to 100 million dollars to finish development on the state’s troubled vehicle licensing and registration system, MN-LARS. Newman also expects a request for additional processing fees, plus money to reimburse deputy registrars for losses due to the system’s software problems. “So, in the end, I think we’re really looking at a big chunk of money here,” he says.
The governor has already asked for 16 million dollars in emergency funding to carry MN-LARS through the June 30th fiscal year-end. Newman said late last week it hasn’t been decided whether funding for MN-LARS will be continued, or if lawmakers will scrap it and start over.