Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • State Government
  •  

California Lawmakers Reject Proposal To Audit The DMV Despite Complaints About Long Waits

  •  Ben Bradford 
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Richard Vogel / AP Photo

People line up at the California Department of Motor Vehicles prior to opening in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018.

Richard Vogel / AP Photo

California lawmakers have declined to audit the Department of Motor Vehicles, after hours-long wait times have drawn statewide scrutiny.

Visits to the DMV can take as much as six hours, as the agency has struggled to hand out new federally required driver’s licenses and IDs. Lawmakers had supplied more than $40 million in the last budget to help, and Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson called for the audit to determine why it wasn’t enough.

“We find ourselves in what appears to be a massive failure of one of the most significant government,” Patterson said to a joint Assembly and Senate committee that approves new audits.

DMV director Jean Shiomoto told the audit committee that the extra money lawmakers had allocated is already spent.

The DMV has now tapped $16 million in emergency funding to hire more employees. The agency requested Tuesday that lawmakers also approve another $26 million. The office of Gov. Jerry Brown says he supports more funding.

But Los Angeles DMV employee Cullen Grant testified on Wednesday that more money for staffing will not solve the long wait times. He blamed broken, decades-old software used by the agency.

“DMV employees have had to accomplish much with inadequate tools for many years,” Grant said. “Hiring of new employees will help, but the department will not be able to hire their way out of this problem.”

The audit request failed without enough support from Democratic Senators on the Legislature’s joint audit committee.

Sen. Ben Allen argued a seven-month-long audit wouldn’t help. “It seems to me that the key things that need to be done, we know,” Allen said.

The DMV said Tuesday it would begin experimenting with self-check-in kiosks and text message notifications to help customers avoid long lines, as well as continuing to expand service hours. Shiomoto also said the DMV will give drivers earlier notice when their driver’s licenses are due to expire.

She said it takes 90 days to make an appointment, but driver’s license renewal notices are mailed 60 days before their expiration.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    Related Stories

  • Bert Johnson / Capital Public Radio

    Capitol Chat: DMV Under Scrutiny

    Thursday, August 9, 2018
    State government reporter Ben Bradford reports on a failed call to audit the DMV.
  • Richard Vogel / AP Photo

    California Lawmakers Slam DMV Over Soaring Wait Times

    Tuesday, August 7, 2018
    The California Department of Motor Vehicles is under fire for massive wait times at field offices that have approached eight hours in recent months.

Ben Bradford

Former State Government Reporter

As the State Government Reporter, Ben covered California politics, policy and the interaction between the two. He previously reported on local and state politics, business, energy, and environment for WFAE in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Read Full Bio 

 @JBenBradford Email Ben Bradford

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More State Government Stories

Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Proposed bill would overhaul referendum petition process in California

March 22, 2023

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Wildfire victims left ‘in the dark’ after U.S. Forest Service briefs Congress about the Caldor Fire

March 20, 2023

Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

March 22, 2023

Most Viewed

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.