Mich. 'reproductive freedom' ballot initiative collects 750K signatures

July 11 (UPI) -- Pro-choice advocates in Michigan announced Monday they have collected more than 750,000 signatures on a petition to amend the state's constitution to guarantee abortion rights.

The Reproductive Freedom for All campaign said its ballot measure campaign generated 753,759 signatures -- well over the 425,059 required to qualify for the ballot in Michigan's Nov. 8 election.

It also marked the largest number of signatures ever collected for a state ballot measure, the group said.

"This victory is YOUR victory," organizers said in a tweet. "Countless petitions, countless volunteer hours, countless miles driven to get every last signature, and *we finally did it.* Now, we are even closer to codifying reproductive rights here in MI once and for all!"

The campaign's "record-breaking signature submission reflects the urgency and grassroots energy powering this movement," Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan Executive Director Nicole Wells Stallworth said in a tweeted statement. "A clear majority of Michiganders want to keep abortion legal."

The momentum from the signature drive, she said, "will power us toward victory in November."

The campaign said it submitted its petition to the Michigan Secretary of State on Monday, and assuming signatures are verified and declared sufficient by the state's board canvassers, it would appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.

If approved by voters, the measure would amend the Michigan constitution to guarantee women the right to make decisions about abortion, contraception, miscarriage management and other reproductive matters.

Organizers including Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, the ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Voices launched the effort in January following the leak of a draft of the Supreme Court's decision overturning the 1973 Roe. vs. Wade ruling guaranteeing abortion access nationwide.

The high court's decision means a 1931 Michigan law making abortion illegal could go back into effect, under which doctors who provide abortion services could be imprisoned for up to 15 years. The law has so far been blocked by court injunction.

A constitutional amendment, supporters say, "would make sure no one goes to prison for providing safe medical care as well as ensure access to a broad range of reproductive health care, including abortion."