Straight Talk With Sam
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. I'd like to note a small change this week. In addition to my weekly column, I am including a list of this month's Mobile Office Hours, where you can meet with a member of my staff in your community. I have always believed you learn more by listening than talking. My priority in Congress is constituent service and the Mobile Office is an additional opportunity for me to stay in contact with the people of the Sixth District. I encourage everyone to come by these informal sessions to discuss their views or receive assistance with federal agencies. I will include the schedule in these e-mails each month when it is set. Thank you for your time.
- Sam
Protecting Missourians' Privacy
Last week, we learned that the State Highway Patrol not once, but twice, sent a disc containing the names of 163,247 Missourians who have concealed carry permits to the Federal government, supposedly as part of an investigation by the Social Security Administration (SSA) into individuals claiming to have a mental illness in order to receive disability benefits.
The first question this raises is, why is the Federal government asking for this information? It also makes me wonder why the Highway Patrol would send a list of every concealed carry permit holder to the Federal government, rather than requesting the information from the SSA on who they were investigating and conducting the research internally.
But far more fundamentally, it comes down to our right to privacy. As Friday's editorial in the St. Joseph News-Pressstated, "these breaches of the public trust are unlike other contentious issues that are part of the swirling political battles in Missouri and the nation's capital. There is substance here — actual behaviors and decisions to be evaluated."
Consider, for instance, that the investigator who received the discs reportedly had trouble reading the information and destroyed them. But what if he hadn't? What if he accidentally loaded the information to a website, and the public was able to view who in our state chooses to defend themselves and their families? That information could put individuals at risk for criminal activity.
This incident raises a lot of questions about what our state government is doing with the data it collects and why such data collection and storage is necessary. Further, it brings into question whether both Federal and state officials are aware of the laws concerning the sharing of this data.
I agree with the St. Joe News-Press's assessment that "leaders of our state agencies must be held accountable for understanding these privacy concerns and reforming their processes to address them."
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MOBILE OFFICE HOURS:
The Mobile Office schedule for April 2013 is as follows:
Monday, April 15th
Knox County Courthouse, Edina – 8:30 a.m.
Lewis County Courthouse, Monticello – 11:30 a.m.
Clark County Courthouse, Kahoka – 1:30 p.m.
Scotland County Courthouse, Memphis – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 17th
Vandalia Branch Library, Vandalia – 8:30 a.m.
American Legion, Blue Springs – 10:00 a.m.
Marion County Courthouse, Palmyra – 2:30 p.m.
Friday, April 19th
Shelby County Courthouse, Shelbyville – 8:30 a.m.
Monroe County Courthouse, Paris – 11:30 a.m.
Ralls County Courthouse, New London – 2:00 p.m.
Pike County Courthouse, Bowling Green – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23rd
Weston City Hall, Weston – 8:00 a.m.
Smithville City Hall, Smithville – 1:00 p.m.
Liberty City Hall (Council Chambers), Liberty – 2:00 p.m.
Excelsior Springs Hall of Waters, Excelsior Springs – 3:00 p.m.
Kearney City Hall, Kearney – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24th
Platte City City Hall, Platte City – 8:00 a.m.
Chillicothe City Hall, Chillicothe – 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, April 25th
Parkville City Hall, Parkville – 8:00 a.m.
Sullivan County Courthouse, Milan – 9:00 a.m.
Unionville City Hall, Unionville – 11:00 a.m.
Schuyler County Library, Lancaster – 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 30th
Carrollton City Hall, Carrollton – 8:30 a.m.
Brunswick City Hall, Brunswick – 10:30 a.m.
Brookfield City Hall, Brookfield – 1:00 p.m.
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Sincerely,
