The Missouri Department of Revenue will cease scanning source documents for conceal-carry weapons applicants, also known as CCW’s.
In a statement released Tuesday, Governor Jay Nixon says scanning and retaining CCW certificates are, “not essential to the integrity of the license issuance process.”
Republican Senator Kurt Schaefer of Columbia, who’s been leading the attack on the Department of Revenue’s policy, is not satisfied. He says the Governor’s decision still doesn’t explain why the entire list of CCW holders in Missouri was given to a federal investigator.
"Everything indicates to me that this was not a criminal investigation," Schaefer said. "It looks to me like this was simply a fishing expedition or some other purpose, to basically profile over 160,000 Missourians who have a conceal carry permit, and that is wrong and it’s a violation of state law."
Schaefer also says next year’s budget for the department’s Motor Vehicles Division will remain at zero until they get some answers on whether the public’s money is being appropriately spent.
Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Tim Jones and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder are calling on the Democratic Governor to apologize for the controversy. Jones also wants Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster to investigate the Department of Revenue’s scanning practices.