Illinois governor Jim Edgar used his amendatory veto powers last week to give unmarried biological fathers legal status to bring criminal complaints against doctors who perform D&X abortions. Edgar, who usually favors abortion rights likely invoked his veto powers to satisfy conservatives in light of the upcoming 1998 elections. Women’s rights activists, however, have pointed out that doctors in Illinois rarely perform D&X procedures. Thus, Edgar’s veto allowed the moderate governor to give conservatives a symbolic victory without making a significant change in his state.
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