The governor of New Mexico on Sunday announced an initiative intended to lure Texas doctors and other medical professionals to relocate to her state.
New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham aimed this effort specifically at those medical professionals impacted by Texas’ abortion ban.
In a letter published as a full-page advertisement in the Sunday editions of the San Antonio Express-News and newspapers in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, Lujan Grisham launched the "Free to Provide" campaign to promote New Mexico’s commitment to providing complete health care, including abortion access.
The campaign also uses billboards to share the message.
On Sunday, Lujan Grisham posted on social media, “This ain’t Texas,” a reference to the popular country crossover song by Beyonce. “Here, you’re free to provide and practice what you were trained to do in medical school.”
And in a separate post, she said that physicians can work in her state “without interference from politicians or police.”
Currently, New Mexico allows abortions and protects medical practitioners who administer them.
Texas’ ban on abortions after the sixth week of gestation, known as Senate Bill 8, went into effect in 2021.
The Dobbs decision was a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade — the law that guided abortions nationwide. The Texas law then became a near-total ban on abortion.
The abortion ban was upheld again in May in the Texas Supreme Court when a group of women sued for clarity regarding the emergency exceptions, which remain a point of contention for medical professionals in Texas.
The “Free to Provide” website includes varied resources, including information about job opportunities, scholarship opportunities, and a brief guide to cultural events and sights around the state.
The governor’s office maintains that “Free to Provide” is part of a broader effort to improve healthcare in New Mexico with competitive incentives.
