Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement on the ordering of a performance audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles:

"Long wait lines and poor customer service have angered Californians and caused them to lose confidence in the DMV. While the previously proposed audit by the independent State Auditor would have been preferable, we applaud any effort to get to the bottom of the problems at the DMV and welcome the audit by the Governor's Department of Finance. The State of California must fix the problems that have led to the long wait times, mounting technology issues and disturbing reports of more than 23,000 erroneous voter registrations being transmitted to the Secretary of State. Californians deserve better," said Senator Bates.

Senator Bates recently authored an op-ed published in The Vista Press calling for the immediate audit of the DMV, saying the urgency is clear.