Opening Day of 2026 Session: If Abortion Is Healthcare, Why Is It Exempt From Healthcare Standards?

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico -- As the New Mexico Legislature opens its 2026 legislative session on January 20, 2026, Abortion Free New Mexico is responding to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s call for residents to “advocate effectively on what matters most to your family.” The organization agrees — and says families deserve honest answers as the Governor continues to label abortion as “healthcare,” despite public records documenting injuries, emergencies, and a regulatory system that exempts abortion from basic medical standards.

I need your family’s voice at this year’s legislative session. As the session gets underway, parental and family perspectives are more important than ever.

Whether it's education, healthcare, childcare, or community safety—the issues being decided affect your daily life. That's… pic.twitter.com/vWzBiEi49t

— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) January 17, 2026

​The Governor has called for “family voices” to engage this session, saying decisions on healthcare and public safety affect daily life for New Mexicans.

Families agree — and they are raising serious concerns.

In New Mexico, abortion is labeled “healthcare” by political leaders, yet abortion facilities are not held to the same basic standards required of legitimate medical providers. Unlike hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, abortion facilities operate without routine inspections, without transparent enforcement, and without accountability when patients are harmed.

Make your voice heard.

Abortion Free New Mexico is asking families and the public to stay engaged this legislative session. Transparency and participation matter—New Mexicans can watch proceedings, attend hearings, and share how policies affect their lives.  

• Watch every committee meeting and floor session: WATCH ONLINE HERE
• Find and contact your legislator: CONTACT HERE
• Participate in public comment via Zoom or phone by viewing the daily committee schedule: GET INVOLVED

The Abortion Oversight Gap in New Mexico — comparison of regulated healthcare standards versus abortion facility exemptions.  ​(Graphic courtesy: Abortion Free New Mexico)

Public records document:​

• Abortion-related injuries to women
• Emergency 911 calls and hospital transports from abortion facilities
• A surge in out-of-state abortion tourism as New Mexico positions itself as a destination state

Detailed documentation of abortion-related risks and patient harm is available here: ​

• Abortion-Related Risks & Patient Harm (Source Documentation)
  

​Physicians Are Leaving New Mexico
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At the same time, licensed physicians and healthcare professionals are leaving New Mexico, citing an increasingly hostile environment for ethical medical practice — one where abortion is shielded from oversight while legitimate providers face heightened regulatory pressure, liability risk, and declining professional standards.

“Healthcare requires standards, inspections, and accountability — and it does not maim or kill,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico. “Abortion fulfills none of those requirements in New Mexico, yet it is repeatedly labeled ‘healthcare’ while being exempt from the rules that govern real medicine.”

Shaver said the issue ultimately comes down to honesty and accountability.

“This is not about ideology,” Shaver said. “It is about whether words still mean anything. If abortion is healthcare, then it should be held to healthcare standards. If abortion facilities cannot meet those standards, they should not receive taxpayer funding and should not be allowed to continue operating without accountability.”

Abortion Free New Mexico emphasized that the consequences of the state’s approach extend beyond abortion policy itself.

“When government protects one industry at all costs — even when patients are harmed — it undermines trust in the entire healthcare system,” Shaver said. “Families lose confidence, doctors leave, and standards erode.”

As lawmakers begin deliberations this session, Abortion Free New Mexico is calling on legislators, regulators, and the media to confront the documented reality behind the rhetoric and restore basic healthcare standards that protect women, families, and the integrity of medicine in New Mexico.

​Source documentation and public records:

• ABORTION FREE NEW MEXICO REPORTS
• Abortion-Related Risks & Patient Harm (Source Documentation)