Women's rights groups, church officials and a pharmacist on Wednesday said Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) is waging a "war on women" by promising to support legislation that would allow pharmacists to refuse prescriptions for emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The groups held a "Women's State of the State" gathering prior to Blunt's delivery of his state of the state address. Attendees at the gathering said they expected Blunt to address the subject in his speech. However, the governor did not mention EC, the Post-Dispatch reports. The Rev. Rebecca Turner, executive director of the Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said opponents of EC soon will seek to restrict access to other contraceptive pills and devices. However, Sam Lee, head of the antiabortion Campaign Life Missouri, said the assertion is "nonsense," adding, "All the governor is doing is protecting the conscience rights of health care providers who don't want to be involved in abortion in any form" (Mannies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/11).

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