Financial crunch looms for MNLARS

Published 7:40 pm Tuesday, June 12, 2018

ST. PAUL — Two state agencies said they may soon run out of money to fix Minnesota’s beleaguered new driver registration platform.

Minnesota’s Information Technology Services agency and the Department of Public Safety are tasked with fixing MNLARS. That’s the new computer system that has struggled with bugs and errors since its launch last summer.

The agencies told lawmakers in a report this week that the system is improving. But financial issues are looming.

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The Legislature provided $9.6 million in emergency funding earlier this year. But Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a massive budget bill last month that contained another $13.7 million for MNLARS.

IT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne said the agency will fix as much as it can but may need to ramp down over the summer or fall.