JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Friday was a bittersweet day for the Missouri gun lobby, as Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed one of their priority bills while signing another.

Nixon vetoed legislation championed by Speaker Tim Jones that would have made it a crime for federal authorities to enforce some federal gun laws in Missouri. Furthermore, Nixon said the bill would have made it a crime for people like journalists to publish the name of a gun owner.

“This unnecessary and unconstitutional attempt to nullify federal laws would have violated Missourians’ First Amendment right to free speech – while doing nothing to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Nixon said.

As he has in previous veto messages, Nixon – who is becoming increasingly publicly combative with the General Assembly, itself – made a point to highlight a potential real world example of what the bill would have done if made law.

“Under this bill, newspaper editors around the state that annually publish photos of proud young Missourians who harvest their first turkey or deer could be charged with a crime,” he said.

Jones, an ardent supporter of the legislation, said he was disappointed with Nixon for siding “with President Obama instead of standing up for the Constitutional rights of Missourians.

“The Second Amendment Preservation Act was an important bill to strengthen our rights and push back against the federal government, which under the Obama administration has been pushing for laws repugnant to the Second Amendment,” he said.

On the same day, Nixon signed legislation that would allow state employees to keep firearms in their vehicle and would allow fire chiefs to carry concealed firearms.

Nixon, a gun owner himself, made a point to highlight his support of gun bills in the past, including legislation that lowered the age at which someone can obtain a conceal carry endorsement and a bill that expanded the “Castle Doctrine,” a policy that allows homeowners and business owners to use deadly force against intruders.