A Cole County judge has temporarily blocked a subpoena from lawmakers requiring several people from Governor Nixon’s administration to testify at hearings Thursday. The House Bipartisan Investigative Committee on Privacy Protection voted to issue the subpoena Wednesday to five members of Nixon’s administration and the former director of the Department of Revenue. The committee is charged with investigating the  department of revenue’s procedures to issue driver’s licenses.
Lawmakers decided to issue the subpoenas after several people who originally said they would testify at a hearing this week backed out.
Nixon’s administration says the subpoenas didn’t provide enough notice and took employees away from crucial work. The administration also questioned the legal authority for the subpoenas since the committee includes non-legislators who do not have the authority to issue subpoenas.
Judge Green is requiring a the committee to submit reasons behind the subpoena by Friday or is threatening to block them permanently. He also included in his preliminary order to the committee that, “you are ordered to refrain from all action in the premises until further notice.”
The committee is investigating whether Missouri officials are trying to implement the federal Real ID Act. Missouri passed a law in 2009 that forbids the state from complying with the Real ID Act.
Committee members wrapped up the second day of their two-day hearing Thursday in Jefferson City.
AUDIO:Â Matt Evans reports (:57)
Judge Daniel Green’s preliminary order on the subpoenas
