A part of the weekly report of Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Peters, is devoted to his promise to leave no stone unturned in finding out the truth behind the scandal of DOR officials collecting information about law abiding gun owners (Are there any other kind where the GOP is concerned?). If Dempsey and his fellow legislators showed this kind of devotion to finding jobs for Missourians, we would have 100 percent employment.
One area of consistent concern has been the overreach of government, be it in Missouri or Washington D.C. Three weeks ago, the Missouri Senate learned the Missouri Department of Revenue had taken the extraordinary step of requiring individuals going in for a license renewal or a Concealed and Carry permit to provide the government with a copy of their birth certificate or passport they could scan and then keep in a database. The extreme steps didn’t stop there, and unfortunately we have learned the Department of Revenue, through a Homeland Security grant, is taking biometric photographs of Missouri residents simply looking to receive a Concealed and Carry permit or update their licenses.
Beyond concern for privacy, these actions by the Department of Revenue have resulted in Missourians having to wait weeks to receive updated licenses through the mail as opposed to same-day printing. These actions by the Governor’s employees are unnecessary, wrong, and likely illegal. In my capacity as Senate President, I approved and delivered a subpoena for documents in order to begin uncovering what occurred and why. Beyond the subpoena, we have held hearings on the issue and I called upon our Attorney General to do his job and defend Missourians from this ridiculous overreach. Infringement upon personal freedoms and the attacks upon the second amendment cannot stand.
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