Courts Says Farm Workers' Comp Exception Unconstitutional

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefAn Albuquerque judge ruled that a statute enacted in 1917 that excludes farm and agricultural workers from the New Mexico Workers' Compensation Act is unconstitutional, bringing potential judicial relief where legislative efforts have failed.New Mexico 2nd Judicial District Judge Valerie Huling said Dec. 27 in an opinion in Griego et al. v. New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration that agriculture is the only industry allowed to shift the burden of injured workers onto taxpayers by not providing workers' compensation coverage. The distincti...