Thread by @mattbuxton

The Senate Transportation Committee is currently meeting on the proposed closures of several DMV offices. Sen. Kiehl notes a lot of stuff--driver's tests, senior tests--need to be done in person.

Admin Commissioner Tshibaka suggests they just change the laws.

#akleg

Sen. Myers notes that you've gotta do the CDL certification in person.

However, Sen. Shower is gung-ho and asks Tshibaka if there's other laws they can change.

Sen. Kiehl also notes that it looks like a lot of the data about the movement online may be affected by the pandemic. He asks for a longer look back.

Sen. Shower, doing the work for Tshibaka, says well maybe people don't use it that much because people don't know.

And now they're talking about how it's all gonna be fine because they have private partners in place. She says here's a comparison of the costs of DMV transactions... which is conveniently not part of the presentation they sent.

Here's the screenshot from the slide comparing the DMV costs to the UMV (which is owned by relatives of DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum). Alaskans in these affected communities would be paying as much as 2x more.

Shower concedes the increases "are fairly significant."

Tshibaka says, hey, there's a budget crisis going on and most of these things can be done online and for the stuff that you can't do online (like a driver's test) "It's up to you all if you want to change that statute."

Sen. Kiehl asks in light of all of this, what's the point of the DMV. "What's the DMV for?"

Tshibaka: We keep Alaska moving.

Kiehl says, well, the DMV is a regulator agency focused on providing for an ensuring public safety on the roads. Wonders why they're so focused on creating private biz.

"Ultimately, I'm trying to find the governmental purpose in the revenue functions that we're discussing here."

Tshibaka says it's a long-standing practice in Alaska to have private companies supplanting the DMV services. "We can leverage business partners to achieve mission while also reducing costs."

Tshibaka says they're not waiting for #akleg approval to close the DMVs and are already moving forward with agreements with private companies to move into the affected communities.

dermotcole.com/reportingfroma…

Shower asks if they have any kind of data showing if people are happy with it or not happy with it. His district has two: "We're getting some negative feedback on it."

State official says the new offices have been fine.

Shower says his constituents' concerns may be "disinformation" when it comes to shutting down DMVs. Shower, again doing Tshibaka's job, "It appears that we're not shutting them down but transitioning them to a different model."

Tshibaka we're intending to "transition" all of these locations. Says they just can't talk about the private companies they're talking with right now.

Shower seems to be deeply confused about this whole thing. Thinks that private partners are coming into run the DMV office.

Tshibaka says the DMV can only run an office or close one. Says they're trying to get private offices to open up in these "lucrative areas."

Tshibaka says they can't force the private companies to come into these "lucrative areas." She notes that they picked these "lucrative areas" because they thought the private companies would be most likely to open them.

Shower: So it's not incorrect to say that we're shutting down these offices? But we're trying to open other things up? What's the plan B?

It's not REALLY the public-private partnership that Shower keeps on referencing. It's a private business that does publicly provided services at a significant markup.

Shower asks what happens if there's an oops and it doesn't work out: "Once we close them, is it a done deal?"

Tshibaka says the state can always come back "and have a conversation" about reopening the offices if they're needed.

Kiehl asks if they're closing offices that are "lucrative" enough to attract private companies to open up, why not close the offices in THE MOST lucrative areas (like Anchorage).

Tshibaka, deflects, and instead says they picked these areas because it'd be too expensive to expect people from rural Alaska to fly in for the in-person tests.

Kiehl says it sounds like she answered the question about smaller towns. Why didn't we pick the biggest cities?

Kiehl says Anchorage and Fairbanks residents can drive between each other and also have great internet connections. Why not close them? (In case you're wondering, he's asking a hypothetical here).

"Help me understand here."

Tshibaka says, basically, that it's easier to cut the smaller communities because there's not as much backlash as it'd be to close the larger DMVs. If Kiehl wants them to consider cutting bigger offices, then he should put it forward she says.

Interesting to have Sen. Myers here, who's asking a bunch of questions about how this whole thing would relate to CDL drivers. Tshibaka doesn't have any answers.

Sen. Micciche pops in. Asks what about people who don't have internet access for one reason or another?

Tshibaka: People who don't want to do things online can do them through the mail. We also have an extensive call center.

Micciche asks if the state can do knowledge or senior tests online?

Tshibaka says the Legislature could simply change the rules to allow the DMV to do them online. Even though it's not allowable under Alaska law, she says they've looked into that.

Kiehl points out the numbers they're using for Haines population are off by about 50% (Shower says it's the same for Delta Junction). Kiehl notes that a comparison to 2020 numbers is misleading.

Myers: I've been saying that 2020 doesn't count.

Myers wonders if it's so much about the cost of offices, why not discuss stuff like consolidating services in these towns? Like why not consolidate with troopers?

Tshibaka says they haven't considered it but says it wouldn't save any money.