By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Republican members of the Missouri State Senate are digging into revelations that the names of Missouri citizens who have concealed weapons permits have been twice turned over to federal authorities, apparently without written request.
The Columbia Tribune reported that permit information from the state Division of Motor Vehicles and Driver Licensing was provided to federal authorities in November 2011 and again in January of this year. An aide to Sen. Rob Schaaf (34th District) told TGM that the Tribune’s story was accurate.
According to the Tribune’s updated coverage, Missouri Highway Patrol Col. Ron Replogle told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the information was turned over because the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General is a “law enforcement agency.” That office is apparently investigating whether people on disability for some mental disease or disorder have carry permits, and whether they are either not being truthful about the disability, or whether they have permits in violation of the law. Individuals with mental disabilities are not supposed to have permits.
Col. Replogle also reportedly told the committee that disks containing the data were apparently unreadable because of the encryption format, so they were destroyed.
Sen. Schaaf and Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-19th District) were both looking into the situation. In its updated report, the Tribune quote Sen. Schaefer asserting that lawmakers had been “lied to” about the process.
“What we now know is we were lied to about the process,” he stated, “how it is implemented, how it is funded, and we were lied to about the fact that the Department of Motor Vehicles or the state of Missouri did or did not give out a list of concealed carry holders to the federal government.”
Schaaf’s Chief of Staff Chris Dunn said the committee was questioning Revenue Department officials about the matter. The Division of Motor Vehicles is part of the Revenue agency, Dunn said.
The revelation comes as the U.S. Senate is beginning debate on new gun control measures pushed by the Obama administration that focus on expanded background checks for all gun buyers. Critics, including the National Rifle Association and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, argue that a records-keeping provision would amount to a de facto gun registry.
A compromise proposal announced by Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.) reportedly does not include a record-keeping requirement.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee criticized the notion of so-called “universal background checks” arguing that they would allow the federal government to “surveil law-abiding citizens who exercise their constitutional rights.”
“One of the provisions we expect to see in the bill,” Sen. Lee said, “based on what we saw in the Judiciary Committee- on which I sit- would allow the Attorney General of the United States to promulgate regulations that could lead to a national registry system for guns. Something my constituents in Utah are very concerned about, and understandably so. You see, the federal government has no business monitoring when or how often you go to church; what books and newspapers you read; who you vote for; your health conditions; what you eat for breakfast; and the details of your private life– including your lawful exercise of your rights protected by the Second Amendment and other provisions of the Bill of Rights.”
Lee also observed, “The constitution was not written to maximize or protect the convenience of our government. The constitution was written to protect individual liberty.”
According to Missouri Sen. Schaefer, quoted by the Tribune, the feds wanted the information on CWP holders to “match up anyone who had a mental diagnosis or disability with also having a concealed carry license.”
