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"Farmers and ranchers said they should not have to make workers' compensation available to all their employees.Tom Sidwell, a rancher near Tucumcari, said it would cost him a lot of money.\"It's expensive, and it will be, because it's a risky business,\" he said.Sidwell said that like many other ranchers and farmers, he has health insurance and liability in case of emergencies.Many people in the industry have been operating that way for decades after the Legislature created the farm and ranch workers exemption 80 years ago.But a 2012 incident is putting that law to the test.Two people sued their employers after they said they were hurt on the job and denied workers' compensation.They won, both in a trial court and the State Court of Appeals. Now, it's in the hands of New Mexico's Supreme Court.The law says employers only have to provide workers' compensation if they have three or more employees.Sidwell normally doesn't, but he's concerned that because he brings in extra help just a couple of days each year, he might have to provide workers' compensation to all of his employees, all of the time.\"Our situation is the same as all other ranchers,\" said Sidwell. \"Family comes, kids that are grown come and help for a day or two.\"It's not clear when the Supreme Court will make its ruling and how that decision will impact two major New Mexico industries."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.koat.com/article/nm-supreme-court-deciding-workers-compensation-case/5071142>