New Mexico lags in new economic freedom index

According to the new U.S. Economic Freedom Index 2008 Report which was co-published by the California-based Public Research Institute and Forbes, New Mexico is less economically-free than most states (as indicated on the chart on page 11, it is ranked 41).
There is no question that New Mexico lags in economic freedom and that it relies heavily on the federal government for its daily bread, but this information is particularly interesting considering that Forbes is one of the sources. After all, the magazine has written glowingly of Albuquerque as a place for doing business. Albuquerque is certainly not dramatically freer than the rest of the state, so what is the disconnect?
Does Forbes not believe that economic freedom is integral to business? If they believe that, then I’d urge them to take a look at this international index of economic freedom. More likely, it just seems that the writers of those puff-pieces on Albuquerque simply don’t understand economics and they are basing their recommendations on the amount of handouts our local governments give to those who know how to lobby properly or have the right connections.