Shows
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 17During 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 legislation focused on different aspects of energy policy in Alaska, including carbon storage and emissions, electricity transmission upgrades, and royalty relief for Cook Inlet natural gas producers.* H...2024-05-1247 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 15For 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 Representatives since 2013.* Rep. Josephson holds a law degree from Penn State and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Alaska Anchorage. 2024-04-2143 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 14Sen. 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 Department of Education and Early Development. Early in her career, Sana Efrid was a budget analyst for the Alaska Office of Management and Budget.The “Free Application for Federal Stu...2024-04-1426 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 10Sen. 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 is a teacher at the Polaris School in Anchorage. He is also the President of the Anchorage Education Association, which represents around 3,000 educators in the Anchorage School District.The interview w...2024-03-1745 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 9Sen. 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.com2024-03-1025 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 8Mike 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.com2024-03-0321 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 7Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason sit down with representatives from the ACLU of Alaska to discuss prison deaths, trans rights, and the politicization of criminal justice reform efforts.ACLU of Alaska Prison Project This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2024-02-2532 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 3Sen. Löki Gale Tobin discusses Senate Bill 140 and Mike Mason talks to former Alaska Teacher of the Year Marilyn Rosene from Dillingham. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2024-01-2841 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 2Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason discuss the start of the Alaska State Legislature's 2024 session with retired teacher turned lawmaker Rep. Sara Hannan from Juneau. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2024-01-2146 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 2, Episode 1Listen now (45 mins) | Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason discuss homelessness, religion, and politics with Reverend Matt Schultz from the First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2024-01-1445 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 19Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason discuss the "Employee Free Speech Act" and the importance of unions with Patrick Fitzgerald, the Political Coordinator for Teamsters Local 959.Email comments to michael.mason@akleg.gov or Sen.Loki.Tobin@akleg.gov. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-06-1028 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 18Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason are joined by Sen. Cathy Giessel from Anchorage to talk about the 2023 legislative session and her work on pension reform for public sector workers in Alaska. Please note that the audio quality of episode 18 is not the best. The podcast was recorded using Zoom and, as you can hear, Sen. Giessel's audio is often distorted. We will endeavor to improve the sound in future episodes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, v...2023-06-0323 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 17Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason talk with Sen. Scott Kawasaki from Fairbanks about the effort to pass election reform legislation and the relationship between the Alaska House and Alaska Senate.Note: Sen. Kawasaki has been working to pass Senate Bill 138, which is an omnibus election reform bill. Note: Sen. Kawasaki did not choose which version of Batman he would like to insert into the Alaska State Legislature. As a result, we decided that his favorite Batman is the Val Kilmer version.Note: Mike Mason's favorite version of Batman is the M...2023-05-2729 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 16Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason sit down with Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson just hours after a compromise budget was passed by the Alaska State Legislature. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-05-2013 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 15Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason are joined by Sen. Tobin's father, Lew Tobin, for a wide-ranging conversation about Nome, the Alaska State Legislature, and being a single-father. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-05-1326 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 14Sen. Löki Gale Tobin & Mike Mason discuss the crisis in public education and the efforts to increase funding with Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators. Senate Bill 52 will be considered by the Senate Finance Committee during a meeting scheduled for 9:00 am on Tuesday, May 9. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-05-0636 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 13Senator Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason talk climate change and renewable portfolio standards with Chris Rose, the founder of the Renewable Energy Alaska Project. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-04-2932 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 12Senator Löki Gale Tobin (D-Anchorage) and Mike Mason were joined by the Executive Director of the Association of Alaska School Boards on April 19 to discuss the role of school boards in public education in Alaska. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-04-2239 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 11Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason are joined by Roy Getchell, the Superintendent of the Haines Borough School District, to discuss the effort to increase funding for public education in Alaska. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-04-1539 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 10Sen. Löki Gale Tobin and Mike Mason are joined by ISER Director Diane Hirshberg to discuss data and how it can inform good public policy decisions for the State of Alaska. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-04-0831 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 9Mike Mason and Sen. Löki Gale Tobin are joined by Rep. Cliff Groh and Rep. Zack Fields for an update on the ongoing legislative session in Juneau. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-04-0151 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 8Sen. Löki Gale Tobin & Mike Mason sit down with two District I constituents (shout out to Fairview and South Addition) who traveled to Juneau to advocate on behalf of the Pacific Community of Alaska. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-03-2622 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 7Former journalist and current legislative staffer Mike Mason sits down with veteran journalists Tim Bradner and Larry Persily to discuss the Alaska State Legislature and how the institution has changed over the years. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-03-1824 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 6Mike Mason and Sen. Löki Gale Tobin sit down with fellow podcaster Rep. Andrew Gray to discuss an eventful week in the Alaska State Legislature. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-03-1127 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 3In this episode of the Empty Office Podcast, host Mike Mason asks Senator Löki Gale Tobin and guest former State Representative Chris Tuck how to be a great lawmaker and survive the political turmoil in Juneau. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-02-1818 min
The Empty Office PodcastThe Empty Office Podcast - Season 1, Episode 1In this inaugural podcast, our host Mike Mason interviews Alaska State Senator Löki Gale Tobin on her first three weeks in elected office. Mike asks Löki to describe the formation of the Alaska Senate Majority, Löki's role as Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and why increasing education funding is her number one priority and the number one priority of the Alaska Senate Majority. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lgtobin.substack.com2023-02-0514 min