2017 data show New Mexico state/local spending 2nd-highest nationally

As the Democrat-controlled Legislature whines about spending cuts and attempts to raise taxes, newly-released 2017 data show New Mexico state/local spending (as a percentage of gross state product) far outpaces neighbors and is 2nd-highest overall. The data are from USGovSpending.com. Only Kentucky spends more as a percent of economic output than New Mexico.

Given that reality, it is no surprise that state/local spending in New Mexico far outpaces its faster-growing regional neighbors and the national average. The data can be seen in the chart below: