UPDATE: Lawmakers want to handle investigation of state computer problems

6 p.m. update:

Legislative leaders in both political parties are telling Gov. Bob McDonnell an independent investigation of Virginia's continuing computer blackout should be handled by the General Assembly's watchdog agency.  

And, senior lawmakers say, if the job doesn't fall to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, then JLARC -- not the state's embattled info-tech agency -- should hire an outsider to look into the origins and impact of the computer failure, now in its sixth day.   

JLARC's chairman, Sen. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William, and another top member, Senate Republican Floor Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. of James City, said an inquiry can't be independent if its controlled by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency.  

McDonnell communications director J. Tucker Martin said only, "The governor will consider all options at the appropriate time."   

Northrop Grumman, the oft-criticized corporation hired by the state to provide communcations and computer services, also is endorsing the proposed investigation.  

JLARC has permanent oversight over VITA and Northrop Grumman and has spotlighted widespread problems in the state's shift to privately managed I-T services, including rising costs and poor service.

-----------------------------------------------

In the sixth day of Virginia government's computer crisis, a handful of agencies are still without full service.

This morning an update circulated within the Virginia Information Technologies Agency indicated that about a half-dozen agencies continue to muddle along.

They are the departments of Motor Vehicles, Social Services, Taxation, Juvenile Justice, Environmental Quality as well as the State Board of Elections and VITA.

The VITA bulletin, in part, read, "Multiple agencies throughout the state are currently experiencing server failures. This is impacting the ... ability to access applications, shared folders, and other data stored on the servers to perform daily job duties."

Yesterday, Gov. Bob McDonnell said he wanted an independent third party investigate the collapse of the state's computer system nearly a week ago.

VITA chief Samuel A. Nixon Jr., a former Chesterfield County legislator, had said that service would be restored by 8 a.m. yesterday.

Virginia’s government agencies are almost entirely dependent, day in and day out, on the state’s information technology systems run by contractor Northrop Grumman, which operates under the largest contract ever in state government.

In a statement issued shortly before noon today, VITA spokeswoman Marcella Williamson said:
 
"This outage has not crippled state government. It has created some challenges and the DMV outage has impacted citizens seeking drivers’ licenses but the vast majority of state government computing functions are fully operational. Approximately two-thirds of state agencies were not impacted by this outage."
 
Williamson added, "We ask for the continued understanding and patience of state employees and citizens as the recovery effort continues."

The VITA/Northrop Grumman outage has created yet another large inconvenience for Virginia drivers.

According to DMV, people whose driver’s license or ID card has expired during the state's computer outage  --  Aug. 25 through today  --  and who  must renew in person at a DMV office will need to bring additional documentation when service is restored.

Virginia law requires DMV to verify applicants' U. S. citizenship or legal presence in the country.

Renewal applicants will have to bring their birth certificate, passport or another document to prove legal presence.

A list of available documents is available on the DMV website.

The Virginia State Police, meantime, said they will not ticket motorists for driving on expired licenses if their permit expired from  last Wednesday through today.

"The Virginia State Police is aware that the computer system problems have rendered the Division of Motor Vehicles' driver license files out of service since Wednesday, August 25, 2010," the state police said in a statement. "Problems have resulted where individuals have not been able to conduct business related to driver's licensing renewal."

Any summons already issued during this period for an expired driver's license offense will go through the court system, the state police said, but state troopers have been advised to discuss with the appropriate commonwealth's attorney those matters which may have been beyond the defendants' control and prevented their license renewals.