“This is an extremely undemocratic way to harm access to reproductive health care," said Sofia Tomov, operations coordinator with Access Reproductive Care Southeast, a member of the Mississippi Abortion Access Coalition. The proposal comes days after a Missouri abortion-rights campaign launched its ballot measure effort aiming to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution. Missouri abortion rights groups also have criticized Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, saying he is attempting to impede the initiative by manipulating the measure's ballot summary. Ohio abortion rights advocates have said last year’s statewide vote to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution was as much about abortion as it was a referendum on democracy itself. After Ohio voters approved the abortion protections last year, Republican lawmakers pledged to block the amendment from reversing the state's restrictions.

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Persons: “ They’re, Laurie Bertram Roberts, we’ve, Mississippi, Cheikh Taylor, “, ” Taylor, Fred Shanks, Roe, Wade, ”, Jason White, Sofia Tomov, State Jay Ashcroft, Ed Lewis, Sam Lee, John Rizzo, Joe Adams, Deirdre Schifeling, ‘ Will, Summer Ballentine, Emily Wagster Pettus Organizations: CHICAGO, —, U.S, Supreme, Mississippi House, Democratic Rep, Republican Party, Republican, Republicans, Mississippi, Reproductive, Coalition, State, GOP, Democratic, Ohio Republicans, Ohio, ACLU, Press, Associated Press, AP Locations: Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, . Mississippi, ”, ” In Missouri, Nevada, Jefferson City , Missouri, Jackson , Mississippi