Last month the Missouri legislature overwhelmingly passed a law to reduce the barriers to carrying a firearm outside your own home and to give gun owners greater legal protections should they have to use them:

The bill would allow any law-abiding adult who can legally posses a firearm to carry a firearm concealed on their person, without having to obtain any additional permit. It would also extend “castle doctrine” protections to house guests and remove requirements that somebody in a public place retreat before using deadly force to protect themselves from an attacker they reasonably believe is threatening their life.

Now, as befits the anti-freedom stooge that he is, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has vetoed the bill.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a gun measure Monday that would allow the concealed carry of firearms without a permit and expand residents’ rights to stand and fight against perceived threats — a move that could set up a battle with the Republican-controlled Legislature.

In a late Sunday interview with The Associated Press, Nixon cited concerns with a provision that would allow most people to carry concealed guns even if they haven’t gone through the training currently required to get a permit. He said it should be left up to sheriffs to deny concealed carry permits and that changing those laws would mean “dramatic steps backward for public safety.”

“The protections we have in place are working,” the Democratic governor said. “Changing those at this particular point would make Missouri more dangerous.”

In his veto letter, Nixon also said the measure would allow those convicted of misdemeanor assault and two or more misdemeanor drug possessions within the last five years to carry hidden firearms.

Nixon said criticism by some law enforcement officials of the proposed concealed carry changes influenced his decision.

The governor’s veto doesn’t necessarily mean the bill is dead. The measure passed with enough Republican support for lawmakers to override Nixon and vote the bill into law if they stick to their original votes. The Legislature will convene for a short session in September to consider overturning the governor’s actions on vetoed legislation.

The standard tack taken by soft-gun-grabbers and large swathes of law enforcement has been to make the carrying of firearms outside the home onerous and the use of a firearm in self-defense a potential felony conviction. The idea that you need a note from the county sheriff in order to exercise a constitutional right (that would be the “bear” part of “keep and bear arms”) is offensive and the requirement to “give ground” in face of an attack is a one-way ticket to the penitentiary if you are faced with an anti-gun prosecutor.

Beyond that, there is no evidence anywhere that “must issue” or “constitutional carry” states and states with “stand your ground” laws result in increased incidents of random strangers engaging in gunfights.

As the article says, if the men and women who voted for freedom stand firm, more that enough votes are available to override this veto.