Alaska Landmine Radio

Jeff was joined by Greta Wade, a nurse and healthcare representative with the Laborers Local 941. They discuss a recent encounter in the Capitol she had with Representative Jamie Allard (R - Eagle River). Wade was in town meeting with legislators and had a meeting setup with Allard. After Allard's office moved the appointment twice, Wade showed up for the third time. But when Wade walked into Allard's office, Allard told her, "I don't meet with laborers!" Allard ended up calling security when Wade asked her staff why they wasted her time. Talk about bizarre. They also talk about the Laborers Local 341 and how 43% of their members are healthcare workers.  

Jeff was joined by Alaska Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Henderson. They discuss her background as a judge for the District Court and the Superior Court, the Judicial Council process in Alaska used to select judges, her background growing up in California and then attending Yale Law School, how she came to Alaska to clerk for the Alaska Supreme Court, what she did before she became a judge, her three judicial appointments, the different roles of Alaska's courts, and what it's like being a judge. 

Jeff was joined by Jen Nelson, director of Rural Affairs for GCI and chair of the board for the Aleut Corporation. They discuss her role at GCI, some fiber projects GCI is working on, growing up in King Cove, the long sought after road from King Cove to Cold Bay, the cost of higher education, and the benefits fiber will bring to communities in the Aleutian chain. 

Jeff was joined by Mat-Su Borough Assembly member and Vice-Mayor Rob Yundt. They discuss the good and bad of social media, his time working on the North Slope, why he left the slope to go into the building business, building in Anchorage compared to the Mat-Su Valley, why he decided to run for the Assembly, why he ran for the State House in 2020 but decided to withdraw, voting issues, the upcoming legislative session, the Permanent Fund Dividend, and his ideas about what makes an effective elected official. 

Jeff was joined by Bob Griffin, an Alaska Airlines pilot and member of the Alaska State Board of Education. They discuss his time in the military flying the Cobra, the A-10, and the F-15, his work as an Alaska Airlines pilot, the deficit the Anchorage School District is facing and why they are proposing closing six schools, why Alaska faces so many challenges with education, how he thinks the reading bill recently passed by the Legislature will improve reading scores, some of the ways he thinks education can be improved, and the process to choose the next Education commissioner. 

Jeff was joined by Alaska's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink. They discuss her job as an emergency room doctor in the Mat-Su, her high approval rating during COVID, how her friend Heidi Hedberg was just been appointed Health commissioner by Governor Mike Dunleavy (R - Alaska), the importance of getting a yearly physical, the medical equipment that every business should have, the rise in overdoes deaths, how a mini stroke she had years ago led to the discovery of a heart condition, the opioid issue in medicine, and what has been known as the tripledemic. 

Jeff was joined by Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom (R - Alaska). They discuss her recent swearing in as lieutenant governor, the recounts of two legislative races, her time as a legislator and Corrections commissioner, how she came to be Governor Mike Dunleavy's (R - Alaska) running mate, the ups and downs of Alaska's budget, who she plans on choosing as the new Division of Elections director, and some of the election reform bills that will likely be introduced during session. 

Jeff was joined by Landmine contributor Jacob Hersh. They discuss how he worked as a remote correspondent for the Landmine's election coverage, how he got connected with the Landmine, his time in college in Washington state, the role of alternative media, how technology has changed society, his plans for going to law school, the war in Ukraine, and the conflict between China and Taiwan. 

Jeff was again joined by Senator Bill Wielechowski (D - Anchorage). Note: This podcast was recorded before the Senate announced their new organization. They discuss the big turnover in the Senate next year and how that will affect the Legislature, how he has come to view things after serving 16 years in the Senate, some of the ways he's learned to maneuver in the minority, the recent proposal by the Anchorage School Board to close six schools, how there may be ulterior motives to that decision, and his thoughts on the recent election. 

Jeff was joined by Jonathan Helton, a policy researcher at the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii. They discuss the history of the Jones Act and Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), what exactly they both do, how they impact goods, cargo, and people traveling on ships in the United States, how Covid impacted the PVSA, their impact on Alaska and Hawaii, why there is a strong lobby to keep them in place, and why some policy makers want to change or repeal these laws.