Legislation shows the benefits of compromise, leadership

The Feb. 11 column on a “right to cure” law in New Mexico was prescient. Senate Bill 50, formally named the “Right to Repair Law,” now awaits the governor’s signature.

Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, it cleared the Senate 31-0 but experienced a mild hiccup in the House Judiciary Committee when two former board members of the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce hashed out details in the language.

The law’s intent, patterned on similar legislation in surrounding populous states, may keep disputes over alleged construction defects from becoming lawsuits, which currently are often settled between insurance companies — resulting in higher general liability insurance premiums for contractors and their subcontractors.