Policy

Interior Designers Speak More Freely

|

New Mexicans who design interiors are now free to call themselves "interior designers," even if they are not licensed as such by the state. This month Gov. Bill Richardson signed a law that eliminates a protectionist speech restriction that was challenged on First Amendment grounds by an Institute for Justice lawsuit filed last September. If you're worried that anybody with a flair for color can now pretend to have the training necessary to be licensed, fear not: The term licensed interior designer will still be reserved for those who have met the government's credential requirements.