Missourians received good news in recent weeks when the governor signed SB 252 into law. The legislation prohibits the Missouri Department of Revenue from continuing its policy of scanning, retaining and sharing the private information of Missouri citizens applying for a driver’s or non-driver’s license. This is a battle we fought for most of session and it is encouraging to see the governor do the right thing for the people by putting this violation of our privacy rights to an end. It is important to note the bill also requires the department to destroy the documents it has already collected. With this, we hope to give Missourians peace of mind that their private information will remain private, and that their state government will work to protect their rights rather than violate them.
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While the signing of SB 252 was a great step forward on this issue, not everything on this subject has been as positive in recent weeks. Our Bipartisan Investigative Committee on Privacy Protection continues to look at the why and how of the department’s policies and its efforts to comply with the Federal Real ID Act. While the committee has made some positive strides in getting all the details of this issue, it also has been stonewalled in large part by the governor’s office. In particular, the chief executive has refused to allow several key members of his administration to testify before the committee. The move prompted the committee to issue subpoenas to compel testimony, but the courts threw the subpoenas out on a technicality. Now the House Speaker and the committee chairman are working together to ensure the testimony is given so that the committee has access to all of the information necessary to fully understand this issue. As this story progresses I will do my best to keep you updated.