Frustrated at DMV, senators want to give themselves the final word over who runs it
After years of frustration over how the Division of Motor Vehicles is managed, some North Carolina lawmakers want more say in deciding who’s in charge of the agency.
A bill introduced in the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday would change the way the DMV commissioner is appointed in North Carolina. The DMV is a division of the Department of Transportation, and currently the commissioner is chosen by the secretary of transportation.
The bill would require the governor to appoint the commissioner subject to “senatorial advice and consent.” In other words, the Senate would get the last word on who is put in charge of a state agency with a budget of more than $200 million and an approved payroll of more than 1,550 people.
The DMV’s size and mission, and its poor performance over the years, mean lawmakers should have closer oversight, said Sen. Michael Lazzara, a Republican from Onslow County who helps lead the Transportation Committee.
“The Division of Motor Vehicles is what we believe is the largest customer-facing apparatus in our state government and is consequently one of the most common sources of complaints from our constituents,” Lazzara told members of the committee.
“Through this process, we will be able to assess qualifications as well as ensure the appointee will be capable of working alongside the body that crafts its budget and sets its policies,” he continued. “We are committed to improving DMV experiences for all our constituents. Unfortunately it has been very clear to us that improvement will not happen without proper leadership.”
Republicans in the General Assembly have been especially critical of the current DMV commissioner, Wayne Goodwin, a former state insurance commissioner who also headed the North Carolina Democratic Party for four years. Goodwin was appointed DMV commissioner in early 2022 by former Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette.
An NCDOT spokesman said the department doesn’t comment on pending legislation.
A division leader singled out for special scrutiny
The change would give the Senate the same power over the choice of DMV commissioner as it has with cabinet secretaries. In 2016, lawmakers adopted a law making the heads of 11 state departments appointed by the governor subject to Senate confirmation. The law survived Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s challenge in court that it violated the separation of powers clause in the state constitution.
Asked about shifting the choice of DMV commissioner to the governor’s office, Cooper spokesman Jordan Monaghan issued a statement late Wednesday saying lawmakers haven’t been good about confirming his appointments.
“The Legislature has failed to vote on the confirmation of more than 40 appointments the Governor has made over the last few years so they shouldn’t add another one to the list,” Monaghan wrote. “These attacks on the Governor’s authority hinder his ability to execute state law which is his constitutional duty.”
Democrats on the committee questioned why the Senate would provide special scrutiny for the head of one division of state government. Sen. Graig Meyer of Orange County wondered how confirming the DMV commissioner would be any more effective than overseeing his boss, the secretary of transportation.
“What does this change for us besides the ability to give this person an initial thumbs up?” Meyer asked.
Others wondered if this would lead the Senate to get involved in appointments at other state agencies.
“We need to hold the governor and the secretaries accountable to hire and fire their people,” said Sen. Mike Woodard of Durham. “We don’t need to expand the confirmation process. We’ll soon be appointing everybody in the executive branch, and that’s not what the separation of powers is about.”
But Lazzara said he thinks the DMV is a special case.
“I’m not sure it sets a precedent for future decisions,” he said. “In this particular situation, with its history and with its lack of outcomes, it’s the right decision at this time.”
The proposal will be written into a bill that passed the House last spring but languished in the Senate. The Senate Transportation Committee talked about the bill Wednesday but put off a vote until at least next week.
This story was originally published June 5, 2024 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Frustrated at DMV, senators want to give themselves the final word over who runs it."
