Oklahoma petition to enshrine abortion rights withdrawn

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of Oklahoma residents has withdrawn a petition that sought to put a state question on the ballot that would protect the right to an abortion. Records show the proponents of the initiative petition notified the Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday of their plans to withdraw. The group was led by Roger Coody, a hairstylist from Tulsa with no formal legal training who said he was hoping to protect the rights of women in his state. Messages left Thursday for Coody were not immediately returned. Supporters of the petition would have had 90 days to gather more than 173,000 signatures from registered voters to qualify the question for the ballot.