“That is the third time you’ve lied to me!”
Those were the words of Missouri State Senator Kurt Schaefer to Director of Revenue Brian K. Long in a heated hearing at the Missouri State Capitol this morning.
Senator Schaefer and researchers at the Missouri Family Network, who broke this story, learned prior to the hearing that Long’s department has ordered Missouri fee office workers to violate state law by collecting and storing personal identifying information (PII) on everyone who renews a driver’s license, non-driver ID, or concealed carry permit in Missouri.
From Missouri Family Network:
DOR is in fact (confirmed beyond question) retooling fee offices and requiring scanning of citizens’ source documents in violation of**32.091.7 RSMo **and 302.183 RSMo, which according to 302.340 RSMo constitutes a class A misdemeanor for each day’s offense. (see these laws reprinted below)
Source documents are being required and scanned for CCW endorsements or endorsement renewals beyond the background checks, certifications, investigations and other guidelines required under Missouri’s Concealed Carry laws, and appear to be in violation of 571.101 RSMo and related Statutes (due to volume constraints, not reprinted here).
A variety of Missouri laws prohibit DOR from collecting PII. Missouri law also prohibits any state employee, including Brian Long, from complying with the federal Real ID act.
Long’s office, however, used three Department of Homeland Security grants to circumvent the law, by installing biometric cameras in Missouri fee office and ordering fee office to record birth certificate and family residence data on everyone applying for a driver’s license or concealed carry permit.
Later, Senators Schaefer and Brian Nieves took to the Senate floor to expose Long’s lies and illegal activity. Senate President Pro Tem Dempsey called on Attorney General Chris Koster to investigate DOR. (Wish we had a real AG now.)
Fee Office Workers Admit They’re Feeding Your Data to Homeland Security #
We called the fee office in Union, Missouri, today. They confirmed that renewal of either DL or CCW permits required that they copy your birth certificate, driver’s license, and proof of residency for use by Homeland Security.
For months, Long and others at the Department of Revenue have maintained that the DOR was not collecting personal information and was not attempting to comply with Real ID.
In meetings prior to today, Long had told Schaefer that the DOR was not using Homeland Security money to fund the purchase of biometric recording devices.
Missouri Family Network, however, uncovered clear evidence that Long’s statements were false.
What This Means To You #
This means that Missouri is collecting enough information on you to identify you with facial recognition technology, like the technology used to kill terrorists with drones and satellite guided missiles.
It means that if you work at a Missouri license fee office, you could be subject to a civil suit by anyone whose personal information you collected and turned over the Homeland Security.
It also means that Jay Nixon and Brian K. Long are circumventing Missouri law to feed your information into a master federal database of gun owners, identifiable by facial recognition software.
What You Need To Do Right Now #
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If you suspect that a fee office has photo copied any of your documents or used biometric photography, you could be the victim of a crime. You can report it to the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigation office cibmail@dor.mo.gov.
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Contact Governor Jay Nixon and ask him why his DOR violates Missouri privacy law. Phone: (573) 751-3222.
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Because this involves misuse of federal grant money, contact your US Representative and Senator and ask them to investigate.
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Contact your Missouri State Representative and Senator, asking them to pass legislation that requires removal of biometric imaging devices from DOR fee office and indemnifies DOR fee office workers from law suits.