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Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: If Alaskans want higher oil prices, wish for bad news

Alaskans who want a larger Permanent Fund dividend, more state funding for K-12 education and the university, more…

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo
Michelle Bonnet Hale is a former deputy mayor of Juneau.

Opinion

My Turn: Sen. Sullivan and Rep. Begich are complicit in destruction of US democracy

I have found myself struggling, these past few months, to find the right words to describe the inaction…

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Legislature could go one Canadian step further

The Alaska Legislature last week approved a resolution supporting Canada’s independence, a body check on President Donald Trump’s…

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Deena Bishop and Gov. Mike Dunleavy discuss his veto of an education bill during a press conference March 15, 2024, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Strong policy, proven results

Why policy and funding go hand in hand.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge (let) and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman (center) address constituents during a town hall event on Saturday, April 15, 2023 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Opinion: Keep Alaska open for business

Our job as lawmakers is to ensure that laws passed at the ballot box work effectively on the…

Image provided by the Office of Mayor Peter Micciche.

Opinion

Opinion: Taxes, adequate education funding and putting something back into your pocket

Kenai Peninsula Borough taxpayers simply can’t make a dent in the education funding deficit by themselves, nor should…

The logo of the Alaska Children’s Trust.

Opinion

Opinion: To prevent abuse and neglect, support child care providers

Laurie Mead, the owner of Kyrie N’ Friends, a licensed child care facility in Soldotna, serves a hot…

House District 6 Rep. Sarah Vance attends her town hall meeting via Microsoft Teams video on Saturday, April 12, 2025. A screening was still held for in-person attendees at Pioneer Hall on Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)

Opinion

Opinion: Vance fails to be frank about hard reality of Alaska’s deficit

Rep. Vance spoke of fiscal stability coming from economic development.

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska) departs the House Chamber after his speech to the Alaska State Legislature on February 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Begich in lockstep with Trump, not Alaskans

The SAVE Act is just another attempt to disenfranchise marginalized voters.

Jackson Carney of Wrangell, a student in the Federal Subsistence Board Policy and Procedures class at the University of Alaska Southeast, testifies before the Federal Subsistence Board. (Photo by Ryan Morse/courtesy)

Opinion

Point of View: Helping the next generation of hunters and fishermen to have a say

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure Alaskans, and young people, have a say in the decisions that affect…

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo
People tour the garden plots during the 30th Annual Juneau Community Garden Harvest Fair on Saturday, Aug 24, 2024.

Opinion

Opinion: Increasing food security without a state agriculture department

There is a path to increasing food security without an Alaska Department of Agriculture this legislative session.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan addresses members of the Alaska Legislature in the House chambers on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Opinion: Trickle-down lawlessness

Last weekend, I signed a petition calling on Sen. Dan Sullivan to honor his oath of office. It…

Former Gov. Frank Murkowski speaks on a range of subjects during an interview with the Juneau Empire in May 2019. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Opinion

Opinion: Advisors to the president should be held to the same conflict of interest standards as members of Congress

Musk’s role reminds me of a policy adopted some years ago by members of Congress — both the…