Initiative challenges SS number use on license                                                                 
By JARED MILLER                                                                                                
Hungry Horse News Staff Writer                                                                                 
                                                                                                               
Opponents of a new federal law requiring a Social Security                                                     
number for hunting and fishing license purchases will have                                                     
to fight their battle the hard way after a shortcut attempt in                                                 
the special legislative session failed.                                                                        
                                                                                                               
The Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) hoped                                                           
to avoid the signature collecting campaign required to get                                                     
initiative I-141 on the November ballot by pushing an                                                          
identical piece of legislation through the special session.                                                    
The bill was tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.                                                         
                                                                                                               
Legislators considered another bill concerning the issue,                                                      
and, according to MSSA President Gary Marbut, Gov.    
Marc Racicot was ready to sign it. But the bill was only a                                                     
cosmetic attempt to satisfy the bureaucrats, Marbut said.                                                      
It would have required a Montana driver's license number                                                       
instead of a social security number to obtain hunting and                                                      
fishing permits. Drivers license numbers are synonymous                                                        
with Social Security numbers in Montana, said Marbut                                                           
who contends the bill, introduced by Rep. Hal Harper                                                           
(D-Helena), would have done nothing to protect privacy.                                                        
                                                                                                               
"The legislature failed to help the people, and they tried to                                                  
address the issue in a cosmetic way that would make                                                            
people think they had really helped. They tried to pull the                                                    
wool over the eyes of people in Montana," Marbut claimed.                                                      
                                                                                                               
The MSSA claims that the Social Security number                                                                
requirement violates the Montana Constitution and makes                                                        
license buyers vulnerable to "identity theft."                                                                 
                                                                                                               
"With a Social Security number you can get all the other                                                       
information you need to steal someone's identity," Marbut                                                      
said. "Lives and credit have been ruined."                                                                     
                                                                                                               
The law requiring Social Security numbers on hunting and                                                       
fishing licenses was designed to comply with a federal                                                         
system to enhance collection of child support payments.                                                        
Opponents of the law claim legislators passed the law                                                          
simply to retain $110 million in federal funding.                                                              
                                                                                                               
At the outset of his campaign, Marbut said he isn't                                                            
opposed to better collection of child support payments.

At the outset of his campaign, Marbut said he isn't                                                            
opposed to better collection of child support payments.                                                        
His initiative would surgically remove the Social Security                                                     
number requirement from the law as it pertains to hunting,                                                     
fishing and trapping licenses and, in doing so, he said he                                                     
believes the state could retain federal funding.                                                               
                                                                                                               
Marbut said he isn't sure about the status of the signature                                                    
collecting campaign which is being waged primarily via the                                                     
Internet.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                               
"For the first time ever we have tried to collect signatures                                                   
via the Internet," Marbut said. "Because of that we don't                                                      
have a good figure on the numbers of people who are                                                            
drawing it down and getting petitions."                                                                        
                                                                                                               
There have been a record number of hits on the MSSA                                                            
web site, however, Marbut said. MSSA must collect                                                              
19,862 signatures by June 23 to get the initiative on the                                                      
general election ballot in November.