On the surface, encouraging young adults to move to lower-cost states sounds like a great idea, but a few significant issues make the options far less attractive. North Carolina has a new, very restrictive abortion law. They actively promote the idea that transgender people pose a serious risk to all of us. Knoxville, TN, is also a lovely option, but they also only treat cisgendered men as citizens worthy of full autonomy. Same story in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fargo, N. Dakota wants to put librarians in jail.

I have two daughters who are struggling with the cost of living in New Hampshire. They could move to a state that has forced birth laws and come home if they ever needed an abortion. But, they need to be concerned that they might not be able to receive adequate care in the case of a difficult pregnancy. Indeed, one has to wonder if more states that restrict abortion will face the same fate as Idaho where OB-GYN doctors are fleeing the state. New Hampshire is expensive, and with the Free State Project, we might not be a very free state for much longer. We have a governor who is afraid of the Rebel Girl. Perhaps they should look at Vermont.

Cheryl Bourassa

Concord

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