Senators look into subpoenaed documents

Missouri senators want to know if your personal information is landing in the wrong hands. ABC 17 News told you last week Senator Kurt Schaefer, (R)-Columbia, subpoenaed documents from the Department of Revenue. He believes new technology is being used to collect personal information and it’s being stored in a database.

He received about 50 boxes worth of documents from DOR. Schaefer say he did a quick look through, but the documents were jumble and confusing.

What Schaefer is looking for is if all the changes going on at DMVs are happening because the state is trying to implement federal requirement. But Missouri opted out of years ago.

Schaefer tells us in all the documents he’s looked at and people within the department he’s talked to, everything is pointing to licensing fee offices keeping personal information. Years ago the governor signed into law that this could not happen.

“If you’re going to do this policy, which you were not transparent about, we’re going to stop it until we’ve had that public discussion and we’ve asked Missouri citizens are [they] willing to give up a certain level of privacy for some supposed security,” Schaefer explains.

The senator says they haven’t been able to find any documents yet that link the changes that are happening are being done specifically due to the federal requirements. He’s hoping once he dives into the documents he will not only find that answer, but will also find out who has access to that information.

We reached out to Governor Jay Nixon Thursday to get his thoughts on his Department of Revenue collecting this data. On Wednesday, he adamantly denied it was happening. His office says he’s sticking by what he said.

“This Department of Revenue, this state of Missouri is not collecting a bunch of useless data to send to some sort of magical database place to mess with people, it’s not happening,” Governor Nixon said on Wednesday.

Schaefer believes the information is being sent off and Missourians could be at risk of having their identity stolen.

“They’re keeping the data, and in a minimum, they’re sharing that data with two outside private companies’. One Morphotrust, who now issues you your driver’s license, the other is the AAVMA.” Schaefer says.

Schaefer hopes he will be able to find who has access to those documents and if it is being sold for profit to outside companies.