New Jersey, the self-proclaimed “Garden State,” has decided to pick a fight with the Lone Star State, plastering billboards across Texas to lure doctors and medical students with promises of “reproductive freedom” and cushy jobs.
The message? Ditch Texas’ strict abortion laws and come to Jersey, where politicians supposedly let doctors do their thing no matter how far along a gal (or guy) is in her pregnancy.
But here’s the kicker: these billboards conveniently leave out New Jersey’s own dirty laundry—like how it crucified nurses and doctors who dared question the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. It also doesn’t talk about insane medical regulation in New Jersey and high property and income taxes.
Texas, with its “don’t mess with us” swagger, isn’t likely to take kindly to this condescending stunt. New Jersey’s poking a bear, and it’s about to get a reality check.
Billboards with a Side of Hypocrisy
Picture this: you’re cruising through Dallas or Houston, and there’s a billboard screaming, “New Jersey: Where healthcare providers determine patient care, not politicians.”
Sounds nice, right? Except it’s a half-truth at best. New Jersey’s “Choose New Jersey Reproductive Rights Campaign,” launched in April 2025, targets Texas’ near-total abortion ban, waving the flag of unrestricted reproductive care to entice OB-GYNs and med students.
The ads, strategically placed near top medical schools and hospitals, dangle job opportunities and a “safe space” for providers. Governor Phil Murphy has even thrown in $2 million for moving costs and loan forgiveness to sweeten the deal.
How generous. Maybe the people back in Jersey aren’t even aware they’re paying for all of it.
But let’s talk about what the billboards don’t say. New Jersey’s not exactly a utopia for medical freedom.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state went full authoritarian, mandating vaccines and boosters for healthcare workers—more aggressive than anywhere else in the country.
Nurses and doctors who refused, citing natural immunity or personal choice, were shown the door. Fired. Vilified. Labeled as threats to public health.
One X post from a New Jersey nurse sums it up: “NJ fired us for rejecting a vaccine after we risked our lives during the pandemic. Now they’re begging for doctors?”
New Jersey’s sanctimonious pitch to Texans reeks of hypocrisy when it can’t even respect its own healthcare heroes’ choices.
Texas Ain’t Buying Jersey’s Pitch
Texas, with its rugged individualism and deep mistrust of meddling outsiders, isn’t about to let New Jersey waltz in and poach its talent. The Lone Star State’s abortion laws, while controversial, reflect the will of its voters—laws that prioritize fetal life over unrestricted access.
Texas doctors who stay aren’t just dodging Jersey’s bait; they’re committed to navigating their state’s challenges, where exceptions for life-threatening cases exist, even if narrowly defined.
And let’s be real: Texas isn’t sweating a shortage of medical talent. People are flocking to the state for its booming economy, low taxes, and wide-open spaces—not fleeing to Jersey’s toll-choked turnpikes and sky-high property taxes.
New Jersey’s billboard campaign feels like a desperate PR stunt from a state that can’t stop patting itself on the back.
Oh, let’s not forget New Jersey is a migrant sanctuary state. Every Texan who has watched migrants flock through their cities over the past four years probably aren’t eager to move to a sanctuary state anytime soon. They lived on the front lines of the Biden border crisis, and now that crisis is affecting New Jersey, more, since Trump closed the border.
“Come to our safe haven!” they crow, as if Texas doctors are cowering under their desks. Newsflash, Jersey: Texans don’t scare easy.
And they’re not trading their boots for your boardwalks just because you slapped up some ads. The campaign’s already getting eye-rolls on X, with one user quipping, “New Jersey trying to lure Texas doctors is like a minivan challenging a pickup truck to a drag race.” Ouch.
The Jab You Didn’t See Coming
Here’s where New Jersey’s pitch really falls apart: the fine print on medical jobs. Those “welcoming” hospitals in the Garden State?
They’ll roll out the red carpet—as long as you’re ready to roll up your sleeve for the jab. New Jersey’s vaccine mandates for healthcare workers are still some of the strictest around, with no exemptions for natural immunity or personal beliefs.
So, Texas doctors, if you’re skeptical about vaccine policies or just value bodily autonomy, Jersey’s “safe space” might feel more like a straitjacket. Funny how the billboards skip that part. It’s almost like they’re hoping you won’t notice until you’re stuck in Newark traffic, regretting your life choices.
Why Jersey’s Gamble Will Backfire
New Jersey’s messing with Texas, and it’s a losing bet. For one, the campaign insults the intelligence of Texas healthcare providers, implying they’re too weak to handle their state’s laws and need rescuing by Murphy’s progressive paradise. Second, it underestimates Texas pride—nobody tells a Texan to pack up and leave without a fight. And third, it ignores New Jersey’s own baggage: a state that fired its own nurses for standing their ground on vaccines has zero credibility preaching “provider freedom.” If anything, these billboards might just galvanize Texas to double down on keeping its talent home.
Final decision? It’s a waste of money that could be spent saving New Jersey’s many closing schools. Murphy left out that part too. Unless you want to live in a city like Newark or Camden, be prepared to show up at school board meetings in suburbia, begging the governor not to shut down your child’s new school.
The Garden State’s attempt to poach Texans is a laughable overreach, like a mosquito buzzing around a longhorn. New Jersey might think it’s clever, but Texas plays by its own rules. Murphy and his billboard brigade better brace for a backlash—because when you mess with Texas, you get the horns.