Walz says state should pull plug on troubled MNLARS system

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota should pull the plug on its troubled vehicle registration system and replace it quickly with commercial software used by other 12 states, Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday as he accepted the findings of outside experts who said it's not worth putting further resources into a system that never fully recovered from its failed launch in 2017.

While replacing MNLARS, which state agencies developed in-house, with a turnkey "packaged software solution" will cost more in the short run, the experts said there are fewer risks in switching to an outside vendor than in trying to complete the necessary fixes internally.

"I understand this is a pretty drastic course of action," Walz said at a news conference.

Altogether, Walz acknowledged, taxpayers are going to be out around $186 million, including over $100 million that the state has already spent on developing MNLARS over more than a decade. But legislative leaders from both parties, including some harsh MNLARS critics, welcomed the governor's decision and said they're ready to work out the details of authorizing the switch.

Read more: https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/state_news/walz-says-state-should-pull-plug-on-troubled-mnlars-system/article_ae957296-ebcd-5d5d-b82e-f669fabf1431.html