By Matt Grubs, NMiF Producer

Eager to a) bask in the warm glow of job creation, b) let voters know that they’re eager to bask in the warm glow of job creation and c) actually address a problem that is first and foremost in the minds of the people they represent, Senate Democrats have put together a package of 11 bills dubbed The HIRE Initiative. In addition to having a certain Robert Ludlum-y je ne sais quoi The HIRE Initiative stands for Helping Incentivize Real Employment.

From the outset, it’s clear Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez wants voters to know Democrats can spur private job creation just as well as Republicans can. Here’s a minute of his brief introduction to HIRE.

In other words, we’ll show you some love and you can show us some love. Which of course dovetails nicely with our title track by Steve Winwood. He tried this whole HIRE love thing about 25 years ago and hasn’t needed a job since. (Although, he probably didn’t need a job long before then as evidenced by his 17-year-old awesomeness for The Spencer Davis Group. That’s him singing. He’s 17!)

Worth noting here is that Senator Sanchez mentions Senate Dems don’t yet have a caucus position on what’s being dropped in this package. There were some heavy hitters at the table with Sanchez, including President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia, Chair of the Corporations and Transportation Committee Phil Griego, and Finance Committee Vice Chair Carlos Cisneros. Upstarts Tim Keller, Steve Fischmann and John Sapien are carrying bills, too. Noticeably absent were Finance Chair John Arthur Smith – and any Republicans. This is a D thing for now and until it gets to the House where Rs hold a little more sway.

The package goes after many areas mentioned by Governor Susana Martinez in her State of the State address last week, including “pyramiding” gross receipts tax. Pyramiding happens when something gets taxed for a business, which then incorporates it into a final product which is taxed yet again. Senator Steve Fischmann – a former Levi Strauss exec – explains his bill.

He also gives a little love to Governor Martinez, who was in Albuquerque Monday touting her anti-pyramiding plans and a gross receipts tax cut for certain small businesses, among other things. Again, one thing worth noting is that Fischmann’s bill doubles the Martinez plan. That sounds great, but it also needs to be paid for by cuts somewhere or tax gains somewhere else (referenced by Senator Fischmann).

Tim Keller got in on the act, as he seems rather adept at doing, leading the press conference once Sanchez stepped away and advancing the cause for a bill he’s carrying that offers businesses a $5,000 tax credit for hiring graduates of New Mexico universities. As Keller points out, New Mexico is still trying to wean itself off government support and advance manufacturing and high-tech, private sector jobs.

Trailing Keller were a group of graduate students supporting his bill. Katie Richardson, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association, points out that students are graduating with a tremendous debt load. For a PhD such as Richardson’s, the average student will amass $45,000 in loans by the time they are awarded their advanced degree. And, the Chronicle of Higher Education notes that number doesn’t include debt from getting an undergraduate degree. Richardson and others worry about a student brain drain as advanced degree holders look to start paying down that debt any way they can once they graduate. The GPSA says that while 75 percent of advanced degree graduates would like to stay in New Mexico, just 40 percent do. Matthew Rush – who is in a much better position – adds context.

It’s just one story among many, but those emerging from higher education and entering the work force could use HIRE love just like so many who are anxious to work but short one very important tool: a job. Both Democrats and Republicans will do well to deliver.

Well, it’s the first Friday of the session. Which, of course, means nodody’s here at the Roundhouse. Nothing like turning a four-day week into a three-day week. To be fair, there have been some committee meetings, but it’s so early in the process that even if something monumental happens, it won’t hit the floor to become a legitimate bill-with-a-chance until Monday.

Even Governor Martinez has toned down her schedule. Word from her press office is that a planned media availability with governors of several Mexican states has been cancelled. Susana Martinez has been active in trying to bring business to the international border. She’s placed a lot of faith in the strategy and, frankly, it positions New Mexico well against its neighbors. You can bet Mexican officials are none too likely to go shopping ideas to Arizona. And Texas? Rick Perry does have a bit more time on his hands these days. Still, this was a chance to show off her recruiting chops early in the session and score some PR points. But not even a quote from a gobernador in the cancellation press release.

This brings us to our title cut as crooned by Vic Damone. After all the commotion of the past few days it’s a little lonely around here. Nevertheless, we have a jam-packed show tonight. Gwyneth Doland has interviews with four legislative leaders as she gauges their enthusiasm for some of the session’s top issues. Gene reprises his State of the State analysis with former lawmakers. And The Line has two guests this week – John Wertheim and Larry Ahrens. It’s a solid show and the crew were in top form. Preview’s below.

And lest you think our choice of Vic to croon a standard was a fluke, the Italian American provides a great setup for Sophie’s analysis of why the Italian captain of the Costa Concordia came up with the excuse he did for abandoning ship.

And here’s is tonight’s show:

We are all well aware of what happened to Tears for Fears after they burst onto the scene sometime around 1985. They had a monster record, waited too long to record a follow-up, broke up and then came back in name only with the album featuring today’s title track.

Okay, maybe we are not all aware. Either way, Governor Susana Martinez is bound and determined not to miss the window of opportunity for repealing the driver’s license law (Section B in the link). Whether the window is open, will be open, or has been open is the question at hand.

Many lawmakers feel this is well-trodden ground and that the path between the repeal-the-law camp and the defend-the-law camp is more or less unused. People know where they stand on this one. In fact, at a prayer breakfast this morning sponsored by the defend-the-law New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, the governor made only an indirect reference to the driver’s license law and instead focused on her common ground with the Bishops – right-to-life legislation, et cetera.

Archbishop Michael Sheehan reaffirmed the Bishops’ belief that keeping the law on the books is the moral thing to do. We spoke with Governor Martinez immediately afterword. What follows is a compilation of her remarks as well as Archbishop Sheehan’s address to the breakfast.

The legislative session kicked off today with Governor Susana Martinez’s State of the State Address.  If you missed our livestream of the speech, here’s an archived version of address:

Also making headlines today was Speaker of the House Ben Lujan who announced he is battling stage 4 lung cancer.  Here’s video of him sharing his prognosis and thoughts with the rest of the House members:

Tune in to New Mexico in Focus Friday night at 7pm for insight and analysis of all things legislature.