New Mexico rates 41st in Merit Shop Index which rates construction labor laws nationwide

The Merit Shop Scorecard is published annually by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). In the Index they The scorecard identifies states that are embracing the merit shop philosophy via legislation, policies, priorities and valuable programs. Rankings have been assigned primarily based on the core issues concerning merit shop construction, including state policies on Right to Work, prevailing wage and government-mandated project labor agreements.

You can see the map below. Not surprisingly New Mexico ranked 41st badly trailing ALL of its neighbors. Arizona ranked 5th, Utah was 8th, Colorado, 27th, Oklahoma was 16th, and Texas was 22nd.  Hawaii and New York were at the very bottom.

Currently the State of New Mexico is able to mask many of its policy failures thanks to its strong financial position (thanks to oil and gas). But, New Mexico laws relating to the construction industry leave much to be desired.