Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has launched a digital ad campaign boasting of the state’s pro-abortion policies in an attempt to entice people to move there. The ads have been strategically placed in six pro-life states, including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is behind the $30,000 campaign, which features three designs, one of which says, “Enjoy your right to reproductive freedom,” next to an image of three women walking through a college campus.
“We are constantly hearing from companies that are considering where to invest,” spokesman Otie McKinley said in a statement on behalf of MEDC. “Among the factors they consider is access to talent and the ability to recruit new talent. Efforts like this is part of a concerted effort to attract talent and business to Michigan by highlighting a business-friendly environment that also protects people’s rights and freedoms.”
The campaign comes as part of a larger strategic push by the Whitmer administration to boost the state’s declining population. This irony was pointed out by Tori Sachs, former executive director of the group Michigan Freedom Fund on X (formerly Twitter).
“Gov. Whitmer is literally running ads in other states encouraging women to move to Michigan to get an abortion,” tweeted Sachs. “It’s literally the opposite of a pro-population growth strategy.”
Gov. Whitmer is literally running ads in other states encouraging women to move to Michigan to get an abortion.
It’s literally the opposite of a pro-population growth strategy. https://t.co/GQ4i0xmkQP
— Tori Sachs (@Tori_Sachs) August 17, 2023
Senator John Damoose responded, “Why MEDC would use taxpayer dollars to take a side on one of the most divisive issues of our time is beyond comprehension. Any good marketer knows that such an approach will alienate as many people as it attracts. Imagine the outrage if the MEDC had chosen to promote pro-life causes as a way to draw more people to the state.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has pushed back against the Michigan campaign.
“If the State of Michigan believes wasting taxpayer dollars on bragging about their disregard for life is an effective tool to attract workers to their state, they’ll be in for quite the surprise,” said Garrison Douglas, press secretary for Kemp. “Unlike Michigan, Georgia’s population continues to grow, and our low cost of living environment, exploding and diverse economy, and historic investments in healthcare, education, and public safety will continue to attract Americans from all over the country to help us fill the thousands of new jobs being created.”
