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Capitol View®
Tom Scheck

Bill that would let police keep license plate data clears hurdle

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A committee in the Minnesota Senate approved a bill Monday that would allow police to keep data collected from automated license plate readers for up to 90 days.

The Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee took the action, but only after narrowly defeating an amendment that would require police to destroy the data after one day. Several members of the committee, including state Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, said they don't think police should be allowed to store any information on private citizens who did nothing wrong.

"No consent, no wrongdoing. I don't see any reason or basis to allow law enforcement to retain our private data," Newman said.

The debate over license plate readers pits civil libertarians worried about privacy rights against law enforcement groups.

State Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, the bill's chief backer, says his bill establishing the ninety day standard is a compromise. He said it would allow police to continue to keep information that they collect on motorists.

"Technically that location isn't ever private information because they are out in the public streets of their own volition," Latz said. "This bill makes it private for a limited period of time to enable criminal investigations to take place."

The bill has at least one more committee stop before it gets a full Senate vote.