This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: The director of the Missouri Department of Revenue has resigned his post, a move that comes as the agency鈥檚 actions have drawn widespread fire in the Missouri General Assembly.
Gov. Jay Nixon鈥檚 office announced on Monday afternoon that DOR director Brian Long resigned his post effective immediately. No reason was given. Nixon, a Democrat, named John Mollenkamp 鈥� the agency's deputy director 鈥� as acting director of the department.
鈥淚 want to thank Brian for his service to the state of Missouri in heading up this department, and wish him well in his future endeavors,鈥� Nixon said in a statement.
Long鈥檚 resignation comes as the department is embroiled in controversy over whether information on drivers licenses, including conceal-carry permits, was forwarded to the federal government. The department recently installed new equipment that electronically scans and stores copies of the documents, such as birth certificates.
Some Republican lawmakers questioned whether the new policy ran afoul of state law barring the state from complying It mandated that people provide certain documents to obtain a driver鈥檚 license.
A Stoddard County man eventually sued, The new procedures prompted during which members of the Department of Revenue faced tough questioning. They also sparked
Then last week, the head of the Missouri Highway Patrol acknowledged that the in connection with an investigation. That revelation prompted both House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder to call for Attorney General Chris Koster t
And U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, sent letters to various federal agencies
The ensuing controversy appeared to take its toll on Long, who began his tenure in December after the director -- Alana Barragan-Scott --
In , Long wrote that his 鈥渂rief tenure as director has taken a toll on me and my family that I could not have anticipated when I accepted the position in December of 2012.鈥�
鈥淚 leave with great admiration for the dedicated and hard-working employees at the Department of Revenue and for the leadership of your administration,鈥� Long wrote.
