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When Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a proclamation Tuesday urging Nebraskans to pray for an end to abortion on Jan. 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states, he stepped over the line, according to some.

First, the Twitterverse spoke.

Many commented that his proclamation violated separation of church and state, the principle that government must maintain an attitude of neutrality toward religion, based on the First Amendment, writings of Thomas Jefferson and others.

Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt tweeted: "There are many personal decisions that are not the role of government to make, from deciding how & when to grow a family, to deciding how & when to pray. Politicians should not use state resources to encourage prayer, nor use state resources to control our reproductive choices."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation was more formal, writing the governor a letter objecting to his proclamation and his declaration that it is "right and fitting that the citizens of the State of Nebraska are urged to pray for an end to abortion."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation's purposes are to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.