House Speaker launches committee to investigate Department of Revenue procedures

Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones is appointing a commission to investigate the state’s decision to make electronic copies of people’s birth certificates and concealed gun permits when they apply for driver’s licenses and identification cards.

The bipartisan group will include county prosecutors, sheriffs and former lawmakers.

Lawmakers discovered last month the department was turning over information to the federal government about people with concealed carry weapons permits in the state.

Jones wants the group to produce a report by September 1 that makes recommendations for new laws and details how decisions were made to implement the document scanning.

Republicans contend the new licensing procedures are an invasion of privacy. Nixon ordered a halt to the copying of concealed gun permits. But his administration has said scanning other documents helps fight fraud.