Judge spares Mo. governor's staff from testifying

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A judge spared subpoenaed members of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's administration from testifying before a Missouri House panel Thursday as top Republican lawmakers suggested the governor was trying to stonewall an investigation into whether officials are trying to comply with a federal proof-of-identity law.

Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green issued a preliminary order blocking the House investigatory committee from proceeding with the subpoenas, which had been issued late Wednesday with a demand to appear Thursday morning before the committee. The Nixon administration employees had ignored the demand.

House Speaker Tim Jones, who issued the subpoenas, expressed outrage that they had been rebuffed by five current members of Nixon's administration and a former Cabinet official whom Nixon has since appointed to an administrative judge position.

"Why is the governor stonewalling? What is he afraid of? What is he hiding?" said Jones, R-Eureka. "The more that he objects, the more Missourians should wonder why does the governor not want to come forward and have his bureaucrats testify and have the truth be told on this?"

The panel of panel of lawmakers and law enforcement officials appointed by Jones is looking into whether state officials tried to implement provisions of the 2005 federal Real ID Act, despite a 2009 state law forbidding compliance with the federal proof-of-identity law.

The subpoenas are the latest flare up in a months-long controversy that began after the Department of Revenue in December started making electronic copies of personal documents -- such as birth certificates -- that are required to be shown by applicants for driver's licenses and state identification cards.

Officials in Nixon's administration have said the database of documents is an important anti-fraud measure taken at their own initiative. It also happens to be one of the many federal standards under the Real ID Act.

The judge did not provide any written reason Thursday explaining why he temporarily blocked the committee from enforcing the subpoenas.