SACRAMENTO, CA (KMJ) – A request to audit the Department of Motor Vehicle’s rollout of its Real ID program fails to gather enough votes.
At a hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday, Acting DMV Director Kathleen Web told the Joint Legislative Audit Committee that she is willing to cooperate with another state audit – but was concerned about the timing.
She was asked if it was better to wait until the results of the first audit came back
“I think it would allow us time to understand what the Ernst & Young folks have identified as some improvements that could be made,” said Director Web.
Fresno Republican Assemblymen Jim Patterson and Bakersfield Democrat Rudy Salas were making the bipartisan request.
“Members, when it comes to Real ID, and when it comes to Motor Voter, we have to have a perfect batting average, you know, ah batting 250 when we ought to be batting a thousand is really important,” said Assemblyman Patterson, addressing the Audit Committee.
After a quick vote, their request was effectively dead.
Not enough senators were present during the floor vote, and the Committee called for the roll to be held open for absent members.
Assemblyman Patterson’s office confirmed later that the item needed 4 Assembly votes and 4 Senate votes and fell 2 votes short by Senate Democrats, and was not passed.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
