Contact: Les Riley, Personhood Mississippi, 662-760-8695, Personhoodmississippi@gmail.com

JACKSON, Miss., July 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Personhood Initiative in Mississippi has recently gain significant momentum because of national personhood efforts emerging around the country. Mississippi has long been known as the most "pro-life" state in America and could be the first state to affirm the personhood rights of all humans.

Lt Governor Phil Bryant also gave this effort a boost by endorsing the effort and signing the petition. He joined a growing and diverse group of political, church, and community leaders from across the state who are getting behind this effort.

The Personhood Initiative is sponsored by the coalition named Personhood Mississippi, and has the legal backing of the Liberty Council and the Thomas Moore Law Center.

The grassroots volunteers have until January 2010 to gather roughly 90,000 signatures equally distributed among the congressional districts. But their goal is to have the signatures by Oct. 1, 2009 to place Personhood Initiative #26 on the November 2010 ballot.

Personhood Mississippi is mainly focusing on gathering the required signatures in churches all across the State.

"If this amendment becomes law, the rights that we as Mississippians enjoy, to not have our lives, liberty, or property taken without due process of law would be extended to the smallest and most helpless human beings in our state. This is not only an anti-abortion, anti-cloning measure, but ultimately an equal rights law as well." said Les Riley Personhood Initiative sponsor.

When asked about Roe v Wade, Riley continued that "Roe v Wade is not only an affront to God, but it is also one of the worst judicial overreaches in the history of the Republic. Illegitimate, illegal, and unconstitutional Court decisions should be challenged. If passed, the Mississippi Personhood Amendment would set up just such a challenge."