New Mexico earmarks millions for abortion clinic

The governor of the US state of New Mexico has allocated $10 million (€9.97 million) in public funds to build a new reproductive clinic that will cater to increased demand from women traveling from neighboring states to have a safe abortion.

The clinic will be built near the city of Las Cruces, just across the border from Texas. Lawmakers in Texas recently outlawed the medical procedure after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973 that had guaranteed abortion rights in the country until now.

"These efforts to restrict access to reproductive health services from other states may lead more individuals to seek services from New Mexico health care providers," said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who signed an executive order for the funding on Wednesday.

"We must work to protect and expand the availability of these services to address the demands on our system."

'Build it and they will come'

In total, 11 states have started enforcing near-total bans on the medical procedure since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June.

New Mexico is the only state bordering Texas where abortions remain legal. This has prompted some women to travel across the state border to access safe and legal abortions.

In June, Lujan Grisham signed an executive order to protect abortion access in New Mexico, and she directed state agencies to expand access to reproductive health care in underserved areas.

This latest executive order to build a new clinic is aimed at helping women farther afield.

"The goal here is build it and they will come," Lujan Grisham said.

Meanwhile, one of the largest reproductive health care services in Texas, Whole Woman's Health, also has plans to relocate some of its operations to New Mexico and other states.

Republicans slam clinic plans

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, will face Republican candidate Mark Ronchetti at the upcoming gubernatorial election in November.

"Using taxpayer dollars to enable and fund abortion up until the point of birth is not only out of line with New Mexican values, it is extreme," the Republican said in a statement.

He has proposed allowing abortions only in the first 15 weeks of gestation, or in special circumstances.

However, Lujan Grisham said that "the notion that women cannot have control over their bodies, dignity, respect and autonomy is outrageous."

zc/sri (AP, Reuters)