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Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) on Wednesday sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) and state Speaker of the House Philip Gunn (R) asking them to make President Barack Obama's effort to control gun violence "illegal."

Bryant made his letter public by posting it on Facebook hours before the president had even announced the gun safety measures.

"President Obama will likely issue an Executive Order today that infringes our constitutional right to keep and bear arms as never before in American history," Bryant writes. "I am asking that you immediately pass legislation that would make any unconstitutional order the the President illegal to enforce in Mississippi by state or local law enforcement."

The governor also expects other states to pass similar laws to prevent this "overreaching and anti-constitutional violation of our rights as American citizens."

In recent days, sheriffs in Oregon and Kentucky have vowed not to enforce any new executive actions or laws restricting gun rights.

On Wednesday, the president signed 23 executive orders and called on Congress to pass sweeping gun safety legislation. Proposals included universal background checks, banning assault weapons, banning high-capacity magazines and outlawing ownership of armor-piercing bullets.

Watch this video from CBS News, broadcast Jan. 16, 2013.