COLUMBUS, Ohio — Attorney General Mike DeWine today rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would declare abortion murder in Ohio because it lacked sufficient signatures.

The petition submitted to DeWine on Sept. 2 included 1,006 signatures, but only 842 were found to be valid signatures of registered Ohio voters. The law requires 1,000 signatures for a constitutional issue to proceed.

The issue was turned in by three individuals — Laura Burton of Cleveland, Anthony Dipane of Monroe Falls and Dustin Paulson of Strasburg — and is not connected with Right to Life or other organized anti-abortion rights groups. It would "prohibit abortion of all unborn human beings, without exception, and classifying it as aggravated murder in the state of Ohio."

DiPane told The Dispatch that the group will submit a new batch of signatures. "'Quit' is not in our vocabulary," he said.

Read the rest of this story from the Columbus Dispatch. 

First Published September 12, 2016, 9:05 p.m.