Hours before President Barack Obama rolled out his list of executive actions on gun violence, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) was already asking key lawmakers in his state to preempt it with legislation.
Bryant sent out a letter on Wednesday to his Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and state House Speaker Philip Gunn (R) predicting that Obama would be making an "unconstitutional order" breaching Second Amendment rights later in the day.
“I am asking that you immediately pass legislation that would make any unconstitutional order by the President illegal to enforce in Mississippi by state or local law enforcement,” Bryant said.
Later Wednesday, Obama announced 23 executive actions focused on areas such as background checks, law enforcement prioritization, gun violence research and mental health care.
Bryant's premature leap to the conclusion that Obama's executive action on guns would violate the right to bear arms is indicative of a growing faction of conservatives who have whipped themselves into a frenzy over the supposed threat of a so-called government "gun grab."
A number of local sheriffs and state lawmakers were quick to get ahead of the president's campaign against gun violence, unveiling plans to reject any of Obama's forthcoming actions that they considered in violation of the Second Amendment.
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