Podcasts about juneau

In this newscast: The Alaska Legislature passed a bill Friday that would boost per-student education funding by $1,000. Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he plans to veto it; Juneau residents who haven't filed have some extra time; A new Juneau advocacy group called the the Affordable Juneau Coalition filed three ballot petitions with the city last week, to lower the property tax rate, to remove sales tax on food and utilities, and to make in-person voting the default again; The Norwegian Bliss and its more than 4,0000 passengers arrived in Juneau yesterday to kick of the 2025 cruise ship season; Tensions over a levee that's taking shape in backyards along Juneau's Mendenhall River have come to a head as one homeowner filed a suit against the city, seeking to exempt his property or be paid for it; A Ketchikan woman now officially holds the Guinness World Record for "largest female mouth gape"

Longtime resident Jon Heifetz shares his journey to Juneau, efforts to improve fish spawning habitat, his fishing adventures in Patagonia, and the evolution of techniques and equipment over the years.   Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska. Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community's newest newspaper. Thanks to the sponsors: Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.) Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.) Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

The Princess Sophia was a Canadian passenger steamship that tragically sank on October 25, 1918, after striking Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Caught in a severe snowstorm with strong winds and poor visibility, the ship ran aground and was unable to be evacuated due to worsening weather. Despite rescue ships waiting nearby, conditions prevented any safe transfer of passengers. When the storm intensified, the Princess Sophia broke apart and sank, killing all 353 people on board, making it the worst maritime disaster in the history of the Pacific Northwest. Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano Original theme music for Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs by Sean Sigfried. Go AD-FREE by becoming a Patreon Officer's Club Member! Join at https://www.patreon.com.shipwreckspod Join the Into History Network for ad-free access to this and many other fantastic history podcasts! https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/ You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod Follow Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Subscribe on YouTube Follow on BlueSky Follow on Threads Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this newscast: Cruise ship tourism will pay for a number of upgrades to infrastructure in Juneau this year. Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration released a long-delayed study on state worker salaries last week. Federal investigators released a final report on their investigation into the crash of a commercial cargo plane near Fairbanks last year that killed two people. An Anchorage judge declared a mistrial Friday in the case against a young man involved in a 2019 Unalaska car crash that killed two teenage girls. The Kenai Peninsula's largest energy cooperative wants to try an save a Nikiski solar farm that stalled earlier this year.

A Ketchikan woman now holds the world record for the height of her mouth gape. Plus, cruise ship tourism will pay for infrastructure upgrade in Juneau. And Alaska scientists protest threats to research funding.

Jeff was joined by Juneau attorney Joe Geldhof. They discuss a recent anti-Trump protest outside the Capitol in Juneau, how Alaska used to attract people, the contrast of addresses to the Legislature from Senator Lisa Murkowski (R - Alaska) and Dan Sullivan (R - Alaska), some of the challenges of Governor Mike Dunleavy's (R - Alaska) administration, issues with the growth of the Permanent Fund, chronic homelessness, and some Alaska political history. 

In this newscast: People packed WKFL Park on Saturday to protest recent actions by the Trump administration; the JoAnn fabric store chain is closing their stores, including on with a large footprint in Fairbanks; two Anchorage teens are trying to encourage more young people to get involved with philanthropy-giving their time and money to benefit society as a whole; the 50th Annual Alaska Folk Fest celebrated its fourth night by welcoming guest artists Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell for a 45-minute set.

In this newscast: Two Alaska State Troopers facing assault charges over alleged conduct during their arrest of the wrong man in Kenai last year won't go to trial until next February; Fairbanks Senior Center officials worry that federal funding cuts will limit the organization's ability to provide Meals on Wheels to elderly people who need the nutrition-assistance program; the first of three new Coast Guard fast response cutters to be homeported in Kodiak is officially ready for duty.

Tonight on the KRBD Evening Report….Juneau has taken steps to move forward with a 5th downtown cruise ship dock, flood barriers are being built along the Mendenhall River, and a Tlingit linguist works to preserve the language. Those stories coming up…

In this newscast: A middle-aged man was rescued from frigid waters near Petersburg,  The person in charge of ordering and stocking produce at Skagway's only year-round grocery store is moving on, Justin Smith of Gustavus has produced albums for Alaska artists like Annie Bartholomew, Blackwater Railroad Company and Josh Fortenbery, A Ketchikan-raised filmmaker, Emilio Torres, was recently named the Arizona Filmmaker of the Year.

Tonight on the KRBD Evening Report….A man is rescued from frigid waters in Wrangell Narrows Monday evening, Juneau's Assembly urges Alaska's congressional delegation to oppose cuts to federal agencies, and the 50th annual Alaska Folk Festival kicked off Monday night. Those stories and more coming up…

  Nygren attends signing ceremony for Trump executive order on coal   Longtime Siletz tribal chair honored at Washington luncheon   Traditional Games hosts 250 athletes and dozens of events in Juneau  

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly voted last night to approve a tidelands lease for a fifth cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau; Less than a year after Juneau voters shot down a ballot initiative to ban large cruise ships on Saturdays, advocates are trying again to put hard limits on tourism's growth; As Juneau residents face the impacts of the Trump administration's widespread federal firings, the Juneau Assembly unanimously passed a resolution last night urging Alaska's congressional delegation to oppose cuts to federal agencies; The City and Borough of Juneau's municipal budget process kicked off over the weekend

Juneau residents Wyatt and Nani Weimer breakdown their Haul Road hunting program, their most miserable hunts as a couple, guiding fishing trips during the summer and more of their adventures in Juneau. 

Vanessa M. Blackstone and Olivia S. Sinaiko, LPC, authors of The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook, join us to talk about how we can use the brain's neuroplasticity to break the cycle of chronic pain.  Vanessa, citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Nation, is executive director of the Pain Psychology Center. She earned her MS in social work from the University of Southern California. Following her own personal recovery from chronic pain, Vanessa began her career as a therapist in 2018. She was one of the first clinical consultants at the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center, and has helped train hundreds of practitioners in pain reprocessing therapy (PRT). In addition to chronic pain treatment, she specializes in sex therapy, substance use and recovery, mindfulness-based relapse prevention, and works on film sets as an onset wellness professional. Outside of her professional roles, Vanessa is a former foster youth who advocates for current and former foster youth by sharing her personal experiences in public speaking events. She lives in Los Angeles, CA. Olivia leads the behavioral health pain program at the tribal health organization, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). She has been a featured presenter in the American Society of Addiction Medicine's (ASAM) training modules on nonpharmacological approaches to pain treatment and interdisciplinary care in the treatment of chronic pain, and has presented to the Pain Psychology Center on the relationship between attachment trauma and chronic pain. She earned her BA from Stanford University and her MA in counseling psychology from The Wright Institute, as well as a JD from Yale Law School. She lives in Juneau, AK. Visit our website at www.newharbinger.com and use coupon code 'Podcast25' to receive 25% off your entire order. Buy the Book: New Harbinger - https://bit.ly/3QufxHS Amazon - https://a.co/d/bCIhtKx Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1144681927 Bookshop.org - https://bit.ly/3X6Ce8Z If you have ideas for future episodes, thoughts, or questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at podcast@newharbinger.com 

In this newscast: The Trump administration has frozen a million dollars in funding for Planned Parenthood in Alaska; More than 1,300 people in Juneau joined the nationwide Hands-off rally at the Alaska State Capitol on Saturday; State legislators grilled two University of Alaska Board of Regents appointees at a Senate Education Committee meeting last week as part of their confirmation process; The eighth annual Traditional Games was held in Juneau this weekend, and more than 250 athletes from 30 teams competed in sporting events rooted in Alaska Native values

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly is set to take a critical vote Monday night that will determine if the construction of a fifth cruise ship dock downtown will move forward; Two weeks after a rockslide came down over Ketchikan's Tongass Highway, the temporary bypass road constructed to get around the work area will open to two-way traffic; It's been more than a year since the Juneau Assembly voted to move forward with a plan to demolish the downtown Telephone Hill neighborhoods' historic homes and add new housing units, but not much movement on the project has happened, leaving residents in limbo; A high-priority bill that would substantially boost education funding took another step forward in the state Legislature this week; While Forest Service staffing at the Mendenhall Glacier remains uncertain, there will be eight people working there in a different role -- as cultural ambassadors

A highly anticipated Ketchikan trial set to begin this week is now on hold. Plus, Juneau considers hiring staff to fill roles previously filled by federal workers. And we hear from a Sitka centenarian on her concerns about tuberculosis.

On May 7, REAL IDs will be required to board domestic flights as well as certain federal facilities. However, some Alaskans in rural communities are finding the path to obtain those IDs complicated and expensive. Plus, a German shepherd-husky mixed dog has been on the run near Juneau for nearly two months, and animal rescue officials are taking their time attempting to capture her.    

Shauna Potocky is a poet and painter who spent a decade as park ranger in Yosemite National Park. She is now a devoted resident of the community of Seward, Alaska. Along with the Kenai Peninsula, it is the inspiration for her second collection of poems and artwork, Sea Smoke, Spindrift and Other Spells. On a visit to Juneau she talked with host Katie Bausler about poetry, community and the value of sharing art. We're releasing this podcast just in time for National Poetry Month 2025. Shauna's poetry card is full this month with readings and appearances in Sitka April 10th and 12th  and the annual Seward Poetry Festival April 21-26. Please subscribe and follow the 49 Writers Active Voice podcast on Apple, Spotify and 49writers.org. And help spread the word by liking it on podcast platforms or sharing with friends and family. This conversation was recorded at KTOO Juneau. Music by Liz Snyder and Alex Kotlarz. .

In this newscast: Alaskans used to pay the highest rent in the nation, but new state data show that cost has stabilized; Juneau officials are proposing to set city money aside to hire staff for one of the city's main tourist attractions: the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center; Contractors are building flood barriers along the Mendenhall River to protect Juneau neighborhoods from flooding expected this summer, but new flood maps meant to show whether the barriers will keep homes dry have been delayed a month; Visitors to the Alaska State Capitol will son have to go through a metal detector and have their belongings screened in an X-ray machine, after lawmakers approved a new screening policy 

In this newscast: An Alaska Native corporation's shareholders are questioning contracts that one of its subsidiaries has to run migrant detention facilities; In the month after the University of Alaska Board of Regents decided to scrub mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, critics of the decision are concerned about the lack of transparency in the process; Ketchikan is currently facing a controversial restructuring of its schools, and multiple school board members and the district superintendent have resigned. School district officials testified in front of the Alaska House and Senate on Monday to say tell lawmakers that the kids are not alright; Alaska's U.S. Senators have co-sponsored a resolution to keep the U.S. Postal Service as an independent agency and not privatize it

A looming volcano eruption near Anchorage could have impacts reaching as far as Southeast Alaska. Plus, more from the Kayhi principal's testimony in Juneau, and a youth snowmachine race in Nome.

In this newscast: The state House passed a bill last week that would help protect foster kids from unnecessary stays in acute psychiatric care facilities. If it becomes law, a court hearing will be required within seven days of entering a facility to determine if the placement is necessary, instead of 30 days currently. Kids in foster care worked on the legislation and say it's long overdue; The pilot recently rescued from a small plane in an icy Kenai Peninsula lake may face disciplinary consequences and be responsible for cleaning up the wreck; The Alaska Legislature passed a bill last week designating March as Women's History Month in state law.

Across Southcentral Alaska, school districts are facing staffing cuts and displacements looking into the next school year. Plus, citing uncertainty with Juneau funding, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District leaders have submitted their final proposed 2025-2026 school year budget, which still includes increasing all grade level class sizes and leaves open the possibility of teacher layoffs.    

In this newscast: President Trump last Tuesday issued an executive order to reshape U.S. elections. The order, among other things, mandates absentee and mail-in ballots to be received by Election Day. It also requires proof of citizenship for registering to vote in federal elections. There's some concern that the changes might disenfranchise voters in rural Alaska Native communities; U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled last week that the Biden administration was wrong to cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As it happens, she did exactly what U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan says she never does: decided against environmental groups. Sullivan's recent criticism of the judge caused a stir in the legal community.

In this newscast: The Trump administration's potential cuts to federal health care programs leaves Alaska's HIV/AIDS prevention and support organization in lurch; A Canadian company announced last week that it's starting multiple environmental studies to explore a possible new gold mine in Juneau; In a sudden move, the CDC is pulling up to $43 million in federal grants that support public health programs in Alaska; Starting May 7, every air traveler age 18 and older will need a REAL ID to board a flight within the United States

Another member of the Ketchikan School Board resigns. A Canadian mining company sets its sights on Juneau. A traveling art exhibits plans to visit the First City this summer.

In this newscast: Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium is yet again expanding its reach in Juneau with a new dental clinic in Mendenhall Valley; Crews in Ketchikan are still dealing with a rockslide that cut off access to the northern part of the island; Southeast Alaska's Chilkat Valley is inching toward the area's first major timber harvest since the 1990s, but the state is pausing a needed application amid public concern; State lawmakers are now more than halfway through their four-month legislative session and time is ticking away. Alaska Public Media reporter Eric Stone gives an update on where things stand; Scientists at the Alaska Earthquake Center are monitoring several earthquakes near Adak Island. Since last Wednesday, there have been at least eight quakes greater than magnitude 5

A verdict is delivered in a case stemming from a drug bust in Ketchikan last year. Plus, the Alaska seafood industry says it's getting crushed by unfair trade and tariffs are making it worse, and a Juneau task force aims to assess short term rentals.

In this newscast: U.S. House Republicans put the top executives of NPR and PBS on the hot seat today, in a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency; Juneau's mayor selected 11 residents to serve on a short-term rental task force, which is meant to assess the benefits and downsides of short-term rentals in the housing market. All but one member are homeowners; An Alaska Airlines jet leaving Wrangell Sunday declared an inflight emergency and landed in Ketchikan; Tongass Voices: Betsy Longenbaugh and Ed Schoenfeld on the skeletons in Juneau's closet

Alice Barr provides the latest developments in the Trump national security team's leaked Signal chat. Plus, the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau could see some staff return after all but one U.S. Forest Service employee there was laid off.

In this newscast: A Fairbanks Republican lawmaker wants to put the governor's mansion on Airbnb; Alaska already imports most of its food. But for many tribes in rural areas, cuts to federal grants and staff by the Trump administration could make food security even tougher; A draft of the 20-year plan for Alaska's state ferry system is open for public comment. Officials with the Alaska Department of Transportation are asking residents to weigh in on the plan that will guide the Alaska Marine Highway System through the year 2045; Juneau's Valley Transit Center will soon have a new charging station for the city's fleet of electric buses. According to Capital Transit Superintendent Rich Ross, construction will begin next week (March 31) and should be completed in mid-July.

In this newscast: Friday marked the first-ever World Day for Glaciers, a day observed by the United Nations to sound the alarm on the accelerating pace of global melting. Scientists who study Alaska glaciers spoke about their research to uncover how these rapidly changing systems affect our world; Sydney Isaacs-Hulstine is a Craig-based Lingìt and Haida artist. Raised in Klawock, Isaacs-Hulstine is an associate producer for children's TV show “Molly of Denali.” She recently wrote an episode for another show, “Work It Out Wombats.” It features an Alaska Native character that draws on Lingìt and Haida culture; The 76th annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament kicked off yesterday in Juneau. Throughout this week hundreds of people from across Southeast Alaska will attend to watch 50 games.

Send us a textLegislative Lobbyist Reed Stoops moved to Alaska in 1971 after his youth on the East Coast. He worked as a Committee Aide to Kay Poland in the State Senate and then took a job in the Department of Natural Resources in Gov. Jay Hammond's Administration. During Gov. Bill Sheffield's Administration, he began legislative lobbying, and in 2000, he co-founded the Juneau Community Foundation. The Juneau Community Foundation gives away millions of dollars each year to improve the capital city by making Juneau healthier, safer and culturally richer. 

Business leaders and community members packed a room last Wednesday to hear takeaways about the looming natural gas shortfall in Cook Inlet from the chair of the Southcentral Mayors' Energy Coalition. As state lawmakers meet in Juneau this legislative session, the underlying factor driving movement on nearly every topic is money.

In this newscast: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday [March 21] abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. While many key programs remain unchanged, hundreds of millions of federal dollars are at stake in Alaska if the order disrupts funding; Juneau's only landfill is filling up quickly – really quickly. If the town keeps up its current dumping pace, residents and businesses could run out of space for their trash within the next decade. A new study offers a few scenarios for what the city could do after that; Crews have begun clearing Thursday's rockslide blocking Ketchikan's main road. But it's still unclear how long the cleanup will take. The slide came down in the morning and completely covered Tongass Avenue, just north of the airport. It left people who live north of the slide cut off from city services and the airport indefinitely. 

In this newscast: Fish processor Silver Bay Seafoods announced Tuesday it will take over all Alaskan facilities owned by competitor OBI Seafoods; Several federal employees in Juneau who were fired as part of President Trump's federal staffing purge have been reinstated; Federal investigators released initial findings from a plane crash near Nome; A Canadian ski race persists amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Canadian governments.

In this newscast: Ketchikan's school district superintendent is resigning at the end of the school year; People with disabilities, care providers and advocates marched to the state Capitol Wednesday to improve access to services; The remains of two French bulldogs that went missing on Prince of Wales Island over a month ago were found in a pair of crab pots last week; The University of Alaska Fairbanks as shuttered the office and taken down the website for an on-campus center that supported cultural programs and diversity related training; Lawmakers narrowly rejected an executive order from Gov. Mike Dunleavy that would have created a state agriculture department.

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly may mandate a timeline for the release of body-worn camera footage when a police officer shoots someone; The Alaska House Resources Committee met on Friday to hear testimony on a resolution recognizing the longstanding partnership between Canada and the United States; Sen. Lisa Murkowski says President Trump is testing the limits of his power.

In this newscast: Juneau resident and author X̱'unei Lance Twitchell won an Emmy for "Not a Mascot" — an episode he wrote for TV show "Molly of Denali;" Sitka's planned internet outage lasted for less time than predicted; researchers and Sealaska shareholders are calling for change to long time limits placed on Alaska's commercial fisheries; Alaska's state development agency says it's talking with the operator of the Ketchikan Shipyard to resolve a dispute that threatens the future of the key local employer; Juneau community members gathered for a candlelight vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People on Thursday.

Text us your questions to answer on a future episode (if you want me to contact you, please include your email)Jennie rounds up all the discounts you can get as a listener of the Alaska Uncovered Podcast as of March 2025. Discounts and links are below.Jennie's Discount Round up webpageJennie's shop (use code podcast for 10% off all my done for you itineraries and planning resourcesBlueWater Basecamp in Eklutna near Anchorage (save 5%, no code needed, just use this link)Sunny Cove Kayaking in Seward (save 5%, no code needed, just use this link)Revel Treks and Tours in Palmer (save 10% with code PALMERUNCOVERED)K2 Aviation Denali Flightseeing (save 10% with code alaskauncovered)Rust's Flying Service in Anchorage (save 10% with code alaskauncovered)Above and Beyond Alaska in Juneau (save 10% with code juneauuncovered)Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises in Valdez (save 10% with code akuncovered)Kennicott Wilderness Guides in McCarthy (save 10% with code Uncovered)Breathe Alaska in Juneau (save 10% with code podcast)Greatland Adventures in Anchorage and Fairbanks (save 10% with code alaskauncovered10)Explore Kenai/Dallas Voss on the Kenai Peninsula - CALL Dallas at 907.690.6477 and use code Kenai AKPPark Connection (bus service between Anchorage, Denali National Park, Talkeetna and Seward) - (save 5% with code alaskauncovered)Aurora Dora - 10% off any of her metal framed prints in her gallery in Talkeetna (in person only)

Send us a textAlaska State House Representative Jubilee Underwood of Wasilla lost the August 2024 primary to the incumbent Representative David Eastman. Few folks thought that she had a chance of winning that race, but come November, Underwood defeated Eastman. She is now here in Juneau forging a new path for her community. Prior to running for the House she served three years on the MatSu School Board, the last as President. We talk about her journey into politics as well as her early life on today's show. Note: one of her best friends from high school, Elexie Moore was also elected to the State House at the same time as Underwood. Moore replaced Jesse Sumner as a representative of Wasilla. You will hear us refer to Elexie by her first name at various points during today's interview. 

In this newscast: Alaska's state ombudsman is resigning in April. Kate Burkhart leaves after eight years on the job and countless investigations that have led to major systemic reforms in the state; The Juneau School District approved a budget for the next fiscal year on Thursday; People rallied again outside the Alaska State Capitol today, this time to protest the Trump Administration's plans to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs at the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs; After a German Shepherd named Jackie evaded euthanasia in Los Angeles, she's now evading animal control officers in Juneau; Alaska's fired federal workers are beginning to file unemployment claims, following the Trump administration's move to reduce the federal workforce

Ketchikan's School Board president resigns, and local shipyard operator Vigor is negotiating to continue operating in Ketchikan. Plus, we have the third of a three-part series about Alaska school maintenance. And veterans in Juneau rally to protect their benefits.

In this newscast: The Juneau School District Board of Education is expected to pass a budget at a special meeting tonight. The board made last minute changes at its Tuesday meeting and now needs to rebalance the proposed budget

The Ketchikan School Board approves new cost-cutting measures, but the grade restructuring plan is still moving ahead. Plus, we have the second in a three part investigative series about Alaska schools. And a German Shepherd evades animal control in Juneau.

In this newscast: The Alaska House narrowly approved a bill today that would substantially increase state funding for public schools on a long-term basis for the first time in nearly a decade; Dozens of Juneau residents protested as Congress considers drastic funding cuts to Medicaid; President Trump issued two executive orders on March 1 to expand logging in national forests. That's after he suspended the Roadless Road, which banned new road construction in national forests. Together, these orders could increase timber harvest in the Tongass National Forest; The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that all recently terminated employees will be rehired, with back pay; The likelihood of an Alaska volcano's eruption not far from the state's largest city has increased

In this newscast: Alaska House lawmakers made a few changes to a high-priority education bill during a marathon floor session on Monday; No one was hurt in a fire at the Dzantik'i Heeni campus in Juneau earlier today, but evacuated students huddled outside for hours; The state Department of Transportation is resurrecting the controversial idea to build a road between Juneau and the communities of Haines and Skagway; Congress is considering huge cuts to Medicaid and Alaska health care experts say that would have an outsized impact in the state; One of the teams in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is comprised mostly of shelter adoptees

In this compelling episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter welcomes Alaska State Representative Sarah Vance, who represents District 6 out of Homer, for an in-depth look at the Alaska State Legislature's current session. Recorded on March 3, 2025, this conversation unpacks the bills that have landed in House Finance—a key indicator of legislative priorities—45 days into the session. From the recently passed Railroad Corporation Financing bill to proposals like increased education funding, e-cigarette taxes, and defined benefits for public employees, Rep. Vance breaks down what's moving and why. She highlights a recurring theme: a government-centric focus that seems to prioritize public sector interests over the needs of everyday Alaskans.   Rep. Vance doesn't shy away from tough questions, challenging the status quo of “business as usual” in Juneau. She critiques the lack of education policy reforms tied to the proposed $1,000 Base Student Allocation (BSA) increase, which could balloon the education budget by 43% over three years, and questions how Alaskans will foot the bill—potentially through a shrinking Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) or new taxes. With passion and clarity, she connects the dots between a stifled economy, social issues like domestic violence, and the need for a legislature that champions liberty and self-reliance over dependency on federal dollars or government expansion.   Beyond the numbers, Vance shares her personal legislative efforts, including bills to combat human trafficking and obscene child sex material—measures aimed at real-world safety rather than government growth—though they remain stalled in committee. She urges Alaskans to stay engaged, emphasizing that public outcry is critical to driving reform, reducing waste, and refocusing the state on economic vitality and independence. Listeners will also hear her frustration with the lack of will to cut inefficiencies (like unfilled government positions) and her call for a mindset shift away from begging for federal handouts toward leveraging Alaska's vast resources.   Join Ben and Sarah for an authentic, no-holds-barred update from the heart of “Stinky Juneau,” peeling back the layers of the onion in a capital that's hard to access and harder to influence. If you value this insider perspective, visit mustreadalaska.com to support the show and keep the lights on. This is a must-listen for anyone who cares about Alaska's future!