The Empty Office Podcast

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a speech Senator Tobin gave in late March to a large group of public-school administrators and teachers who flew to Juneau for the Alaska Council of School Administrators 2025 Legislative Fly-In. During her speech, Senator Tobin called on Alaska’s educators to go to the Capitol Building and teach lawmakers about the ongoing funding crisis that i...

Today, Senator Tobin is joined by a former member of the Alaska Legislature who is a leading national voice in the conservation movement across the country. Beth Kerttula served in the Alaska State Legislature for 15 years. She was the Minority Leader in the Alaska House of Representatives for 7 years. Beth Kerttula stepped away from the Alaska House of Representatives in 2014 to accept a fellowsh...

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features an interview with one of the Shadow Senators for Washington, D.C.. Paul Strauss was elected as a Shadow Senator in 1996 and is a staunch advocate for statehood for Washington, D.C. Shadow Senators are publicly elected officials who represent U.S. districts without a congressional vote, like Washington, D.C.. Prior to statehood, Alaska was called...

During today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason look back on the first 60 days of the Legislative Session in Juneau and look forward to the next 60 days. Today’s episode was recorded on day 60 of the legislative session, which is constitutionally limited to 120 days. Topics discussed during today’s episode include legislation to increase education funding in Alaska...

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features an interview with Anchorage Assembly member Christopher Constant. He was first elected to the Anchorage Assembly in April 2017 and his current term ends in 2026. During today’s episode, Christopher Constant explains how an unsuccessful effort to create a dog park resulted in a decision to get involved in local government and run for the Anchorag...

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features two returned Peace Corps volunteers who are now colleagues in the Alaska State Senate. Senator Forrest Dunbar joins Senator Löki Gale Tobin to talk about the good and bad of modern politics. They also discuss the lessons learned from serving in the Peace Corps. Senator Forrest Dunbar is a Major and Judge Advocate in the Alaska Army National Guar...

Today, Senator Tobin is joined by Senator Scott Kawasaki from Fairbanks. In November, Kawasaki was elected to his 3rd term in the Alaska State Senate. Before joining the Senate, Scott Kawasaki was a longtime member of the Alaska House of Representatives. He served in that body from 2007 to 2018. During today’s episode, Senator Tobin and Senator Kawasaki have a great conversation about the importan...

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a conversation with State Representative Julie Coulombe about the work of the Governor’s Task Force on Childcare . Rep. Coulombe and Senator Tobin served as ex-officio members of the Task Force, which wrapped up its work with a final report submitted to Governor Dunleavy on September 30. Key Recommendations include: * Complete a comprehensive as...

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a discussion about cities and boroughs in Alaska with Nils Andreassen, Executive Director of the Alaska Municipal League . The Alaska Municipal League represents 165 municipalities in Alaska, covering over 97% of residents. The organization was founded in 1950 as the League of Alaska Cities. The purpose of the organization is to safeguard the in...

Today’s guest on The Empty Office Podcast is librarian Steve Rollins, who recently retired as the Dean of the University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library. In December, Rollins was named the Dean Emeritus of the UAA/APU Consortium Library after leading the library since 1998. During today’s episode, Steve Rollins details the cuts to library services across the state made necessary by Governor...

During this episode of The Empty Office Podcast, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason host a wide-ranging conversation about housing policy in Anchorage and the challenges faced by those trying to develop affordable housing options. Guests include: * Jim Mackenzie is the Executive Director of NeighborWorks Alaska. * Lindsey Hajduk is the Director of Community Engagement and External Affairs for NeighborWo...

Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a conversation about the history of the Fairview area of Anchorage with noted Alaska historian David Reamer. The conversation touches on the history of housing discrimination in Anchorage and the Black migration to Alaska in the years following World War II. In 2022, David Reamer co-authored the award-winning book “Black Lives in Alaska: A Histo...

In 2024, we kicked off season two of The Empty Office Podcast with a fabulous discussion about equity, love, and religion with a prominent religious leader in Anchorage. After one of the most turbulent years in U.S. history, it seems appropriate to kick off season three of The Empty Office Podcast with a similar discussion with another prominent religious leader. The Reverand Michael Burke is the...

This episode of The Empty Office Podcast examines the effort to pass Senate Bill 140 and a permanent increase to Alaska’s Base Student Allocation. SB 140, which was sponsored by Sen. Lyman Hoffman, began as a very simple bill to expand internet access to schools across Alaska. However, through a long and sometimes bizarre process, Sen. Hoffman’s bill was transformed into an omnibus education packa...

Sen. Löki Gale Tobin unpacks the good public policy that passed the Alaska State Legislature on the day after the 2024 session ended. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com

During this episode of The Empty Office Podcast , Sen. Tobin and Mike Mason delve into the energy issues facing the Alaska State Legislature with Sen. Forrest Dunbar from Anchorage. Sen. Dunbar is in his first term in the State Senate and sits on the Senate Resources Committee, which has been working all session on energy policy.   During the interview, Sen. Dunbar addressed several core pieces of...

This week’s The Empty Office Podcast episode features UAF Chancellor Emeritus Marshall Lind . He was Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education from 1971 to 1983 and then again from 1986 to 1987. Marshall served as the Chancellor of the University of Alaska Southeast from 1987-1999 and as Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 1999 to 2004. In 2022, Marshall Lind received th...

For today’s episode, Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason sit down with Rep. Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) and Rep. Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 operating and capital budgets for the State of Alaska. Both Rep. Josephson and Rep. Ortiz sit on the powerful House Finance Committee. Andy Josephson is an attorney by trade but has been a member of the Alaska House of Re...

Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason sit down with Sana Efrid to discuss the importance of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for students heading to college or a career and technical education program. Sana Efrid is the Executive Director of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education and previously served in the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska...

This week’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a great conversation with longtime lawmaker Scott Kawasaki from Fairbanks about the efforts to pass election and campaign finance reform legislation. Senator Kawasaki also reacts to the failed attempt to override Governor Dunleavy’s veto of a bipartisan compromise bill to increase education funding across the State of Alaska. Scott Kawaski h...

Sen. Löki Gale Tobin sits down with Rep. Ashley Carrick and a couple of stakeholders working to pass legislation to require insurance companies to cover 12 months of contraceptive services in Alaska. The episode was recorded on Tuesday, March 12 shortly after a hearing in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee for Sen. Tobin's Senate Bill 27. The House version of the legislation is House...

On March 18 the effort to overturn a Governor’s veto of a large compromise education package failed by one vote. The Governor’s veto was sustained by a vote of 39-20. A two-thirds vote (40) of the Legislature is needed to override a veto. Senate Bill 140 was truly bipartisan. It passed the Alaska House of Representatives on February 22 by a vote of 38-2 and passed the Alaska State Senate on Februa...

Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason preview the upcoming veto override session for SB 140 and they talk about the crisis in public education with two classroom teachers from Fairbanks and Anchorage. Danette Peterson is a high school teacher and the President of the Fairbanks Education Association, which represents the certified staff in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Corey Aist...

Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason sit down with the Chief Financial Officer for the Anchorage School District to discuss fund balances, pupil transportation, and education funding. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com

Mike Mason discusses public policy and politics with former State Representative David Guttenberg from Fairbanks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com