The title of this week’s column may sound like the beginning of a commercial for an online security firm, but it is not. It is in relation to a growing concern about the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR).

A few weeks ago, an alert citizen noticed someone in the Stoddard County license office scanning his personal information while he was applying for a conceal-carry permit. This is against state law. Missouri statute prohibits scanning these materials when someone goes in to renew or obtain a driver’s license or conceal-carry permit.

After this happened, the local prosecutor there tried to have this practice put to a halt, but the judge involved declared there was only hearsay evidence and nothing was stopped. In the meantime, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee mentioned on the Missouri Senate floor he has been receiving conflicting stories from DOR as to whether or not documents have been scanned. Some officials at DOR say they do not scan them, but others say they do.

Since this has all become public, DOR officials have admitted they have been scanning documents, but they insist the information is not going to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). My question is, if DOR is not forwarding information to DHS, then why scan it? Where is our personal information going?

We have also learned DHS has provided grant money to DOR for equipment used to take biometric pictures, which measure a person’s facial features. This is not information DOR needs, but DHS would, especially to track DOR’s compliance for the federal grant dollars they receive.

The governor has spoken about this only recently, and all he has done is scoff at those asking about this important legal and security issue. The governor’s response does nothing to alleviate anyone’s fears about what is going on at DOR.

This is a serious situation, yet no one — outside of the Missouri Senate — seems to be interested in getting to the bottom of it. The Senate issued subpoenas to DOR, and the department has brought us boxes of information that will take a long time to pore through. This could be solved with simple answers to basic questions, but we are not getting these answers. I hope we do, because these are serious allegations that carry with them dire consequences for any wrongdoers. A majority of us in the Missouri Senate refuse to let up, and will continue to ask questions and go through materials sent to us by DOR. If the department has received permission to violate state law, then we need to know why.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Thank you.