Alex Flores delivered three minutes of testimony before the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the amended Interstate Medical Licensure Act. Speaking as a trial lawyer, parent, and Marine reservist, he emphasized that the legislation strikes the right balance between increasing the physician workforce and protecting patient safety and accountability. The video recording can be viewed here beginning at approximately 2:40. Below is the transcript of his remarks.
"Mr. Chairman, Honorable Senators, good afternoon. my name is Alex Flores. I am an attorney based in Albuquerque.
I’m here in support of the physician compact as amended, and to thank the senators who insisted this bill be made safer, fairer, and more accountable before moving forward. Thank you especially Chairman Cervantes, Senator Duhigg, and Senator Trujillo for standing firm for amendments that expand care while also protecting New Mexicans.
Earlier versions of this compact granted immunity to the compact board and would have stripped this Legislature of its authority, potentially denying patients a path to justice. This version corrects those flaws. It makes clear that the interstate commission may amend its rules only to the extent they are consistent with New Mexico law, and it removes immunity for the compact board. Those are crucial safeguards. They preserve state authority, protect patients, and ensure accountability for physicians from elsewhere and now also the boards that would allow them to practice here.
At the same time, this compact finally expands access, allowing New doctors to serve patients across borders, especially in our underserved communities. This bill shows we can increase care without sacrificing safety or patient rights. I’m proud to support it as a trial lawyer, but also as a parent of two little boys, and as a New Mexican who wants more doctors caring for our communities. More doctors caring for my family and for everyone's family here and across the state. And I should say, as a former active duty Marine and current reservist (speaking only for myself and not for the Department of Defense or any military authority), I appreciate Senator Trujillo's comments on the positive effects this bill will have for military families who are moved around the country and around the world.
Doctors and lawyers may not ALWAYS agree on the best way to tackle this issue but I hope we do today. And that matters. Because both professions, at their core, exist to serve people when they are most vulnerable. Physicians work every day to heal, to relieve suffering, and to save and improve lives. Trial lawyers step in when harm occurs, not to attack medicine, but to protect patients and make systems safer. This bill, and hard fought negotiated provisions Senator Trujillo just detailed, reflect that shared purpose. I have hated the way doctors and attorneys have been pitched against each other in the wider narrative on these issues. We are not on opposite sides here. We are on the same side of New Mexicans who need care, trust, and safety."
