TEXAS — Texas’ near-total abortion ban has opened an opportunity for its neighbor to the west: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has launched a campaign to poach medical professionals from the Lone Star State.
The campaign, called “Give It to Us Free,” includes billboard ads and full-page ads in five major Texas newspapers. Lujan Grisham said the campaign highlights “New Mexico’s commitment to protecting all aspects of health care, including access to abortion.”
Six billboards were installed around the Houston Medical Center in July, and full-page ads appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Austin American-Statesman and Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“New Mexico, like other states, is experiencing a shortage of health care providers and we are trying to do everything we can to find more providers to meet the needs of our citizens. I think states like Texas have given us a great opportunity by creating a legal and political environment that has created real uncertainty, doubt and maybe even fear for some providers,” New Mexico Health Commissioner Patrick Allen said.
Texas health care workers work under one of the nation’s strictest anti-abortion laws: The Texas Medical Board approved guidelines for doctors in June but refused to list specific exceptions to the law, which doctors complain is dangerously unclear.
The Texas Medical Board’s decision came less than a month after the state Supreme Court upheld a law that doctors and women’s groups challenged, saying it denied women access to medical care when their pregnancies were at risk.
The commission in March rejected calls to list specific exemptions, with its chairman saying doing so would exceed state law and the commission’s authority.
“People and businesses are voting with their feet and continue to choose to relocate to Texas more than any other state in the country. Governor Lujan Grisham should focus on the state’s rapid population loss, not political stunts,” Andrew Maharelis, a spokesman for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, said in a statement to Spectrum News.
“We know that Texas’ legal restrictions on medical care place enormous burdens on doctors, especially those who are prohibited by law from providing any reproductive care,” Lujan Grisham said in a full-page ad. “It’s heartbreaking to see draconian abortion bans restrict doctors’ right to practice medicine and then turn them into a political weapon.”
Texas law prohibits abortion unless the pregnant patient is in a life-threatening condition, and doctors convicted of performing illegal abortions in Texas can face up to 99 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, and the loss of their medical licenses.
“We already have a physician shortage. Half the counties in this state are considered maternal and child health care deserts. This is certainly something we predicted and unfortunately it’s becoming a reality,” said Texas Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin).
“While I certainly respect your continued dedication to treating patients in Texas, if these restrictions become unbearable I urge you to consider opening your practice next door in New Mexico. We are committed to protecting medical freedom here, and are taking steps to ensure that what happened in Texas never happens in New Mexico,” Dr. Lujan Grisham wrote.
Lujan Grisham said Texas’ efforts are part of a broader effort to attract and retain talented medical talent to the state.
