Today’s episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with long-time Alaska State Senator Bill Wielechowski from Anchorage. He currently serves as the chair of the Senate Rules Committee, which makes him the highest-ranking Democrat in state government.

The interview with Senator Wielechowski was conducted the day after the Alaska State Senate passed a high-priority bill to authorize a new defined contribution pension plan for public employees in Alaska. House Bill 78 passed the Senate by a vote of 12-8. Both Senators Wielechowski and Tobin voted yes. In May of last year, the bill passed the Alaska House of Representatives by a vote of 21-12. On April 29, the House concurred to the changes made by the Senate by a vote of 21-19. The bill was transmitted to the Governor on April 30. The Governor has until May 18 to either sign or veto the bill. If he does neither, the bill will become law without his signature.

Senator Wielechowski and Senator Tobin spoke in favor of House Bill 78 during the floor debate on April 28. Click the thumbnails below to watch the speeches. The speeches are also available on YouTube.

* Senator Wielechowski’s HB 78 speech on YouTube.

* Senator Tobin’s HB 78 speech on YouTube.

Another major topic of conversation during this episode of The Empty Office Podcast was the decade-long effort to reform and modernize Alaska’s elections. In May of last year, Senate Bill 64 passed the Senate by a vote of 14-6. In March, the bill passed the House by a vote of 23-16. Unfortunately, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed Senate Bill 64 on May 1. The members of the Alaska State Legislature will meet in a joint session on Monday, May 4, to try to override the Governor’s veto.

“We are raising the standard for elections in Alaska. SB 64 makes it easier for eligible voters to participate and harder for errors or misconduct to undermine the process. This protects both access and the integrity of every vote.” - Senator Bill Wielechowski

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

This episode of The Empty Office Podcast features a wide-ranging discussion with retiring state lawmaker Andy Josephson from Anchorage. Josephson has been a member of the Alaska House of Representatives since 2013 and currently serves as a co-chair of the House Finance Committee.

Andy Josephson graduated from West High School in Anchorage and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. He has a law degree from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Prior to joining the Alaska Legislature, Andy Josephson was a public-school teacher, law clerk, and Assistant District Attorney.

Rep. Andy Josephson is retiring from the Alaska State Legislature at the end of this term to accept a fellowship at the Vermont Law and Graduate School to attend the LLM program in Environmental Law. The program is designed for lawyers who want to focus their career on environmental law and issues, including climate change, land use, natural resources, water resources, or environmental tax policy.

One of the bills mentioned during the interview with Rep. Josephson was House Bill 25, which would prohibit restaurants in Alaska from providing food in polystyrene foam containers. The bill passed the Alaska House of Representatives on April 21 by a vote of 25-15. The bill is scheduled to be heard on April 28 in the Senate State Affairs Committee. If the bill becomes law, Alaska would join 12 other states in banning polystyrene containers.

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

For this episode of The Empty Office Podcast, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason look back on the first three months of the legislative session in Juneau and look forward to the final month. This episode was recorded on Day 86. The legislative session is constitutionally limited to 120 days. That means the session must end by May 19.

During this episode, Senator Tobin discusses several of the bills she is sponsoring this session, including Senate Bill 89 to help physician assistants across Alaska. Last month, the bill passed the Senate by a unanimous vote, and it is poised for a vote on the House floor.

Other legislation discussed during this episode includes:

* Senate Bill 62 - Board of Parole Membership

* Senate Bill 93 - Early Education Programs

* Senate Bill 210 - Indigenous Cultural Heritage Education

* Senate Bill 236 - Veterans Justice Act

* Senate Bill 250 - Data Centers

During this episode, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason also delve into the ongoing work of the Task Force on Education Funding, which was created last year by the Alaska Legislature to analyze public education funding and the current accountability provision for Alaska’s schools. Senator Tobin is one of the Task Force co-chairs. The Task Force is required to submit a report with findings and recommendations by the first day of the 35th Alaska State Legislature on January 19, 2027.

In this podcast episode, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason discuss a Task Force on Education Funding meeting held on April 15, focused on accountability. During that meeting, Task Force members heard from an education professor at Furman University about the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which is often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card. Professor Paul Thomas argues that politicians and journalists are misinterpreting NAEP results. In a commentary published in the Washington Post, Professor Thomas wrote that:

“The common misreading of NAEP data has allowed the country to ignore what is urgent: addressing the opportunity gap that negatively impacts Black and Brown students, impoverished students, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.” – Paul Thomas, Professor of Education at Furman University (Excerpt from a commentary published in the Washington Post)

Through her work on the Senate Education Committee and the Task Force on Education Funding, Senator Tobin has repeatedly stressed that NAEP proficiency is not a good indicator of a student’s academic success. Find out more in Senator Tobin’s newsletter from last year titled “What does 'Alaska is 51st out of 53' actually mean?” During her time in office, Senator Tobin has consistently urged her legislative colleagues not to make education funding decisions based on NAEP data.

“Most importantly, NAEP proctors, those giving the tests, are very clear that student performance on NAEP assessments should never be considered representative of state education standards or used for high-stakes decision making – like whether we adequately fund our schools.” – Sen. Löki Gale Tobin

At one point in this podcast episode, Senator Tobin discusses the use of chit sheets in the Alaska State Legislature to indicate support or opposition to a particular piece of legislation. Neither Senator Tobin nor Mike Mason knew where the word “chit” came from. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “chit” is a short official note signed by a person in authority, typically written or printed on a slip of paper and granting the bearer permission to do something. The earliest known evidence for the use of the word “chit” is from 1757.

The music for this episode of The Empty Office Podcast is an instrumental version of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” performed by the Danish Radio Big Band & Charlie Watts.

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

For this episode of The Empty Office Podcast, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason look back on the first three months of the legislative session in Juneau and look forward to the final month. This episode was recorded on Day 86. The legislative session is constitutionally limited to 120 days. That means the session must end by May 19.

During this episode, Senator Tobin discusses several of the bills she is sponsoring this session, including Senate Bill 89 to help physician assistants across Alaska. Last month, the bill passed the Senate by a unanimous vote, and it is poised for a vote on the House floor.

Other legislation discussed during this episode includes:

* Senate Bill 62 - Board of Parole Membership

* Senate Bill 93 - Early Education Programs

* Senate Bill 210 - Indigenous Cultural Heritage Education

* Senate Bill 236 - Veterans Justice Act

* Senate Bill 250 - Data Centers

During this episode, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason also delve into the ongoing work of the Task Force on Education Funding, which was created last year by the Alaska Legislature to analyze public education funding and the current accountability provision for Alaska’s schools. Senator Tobin is one of the Task Force co-chairs. The Task Force is required to submit a report with findings and recommendations by the first day of the 35th Alaska State Legislature on January 19, 2027.

In this podcast episode, Senator Tobin and Mike Mason discuss a Task Force on Education Funding meeting held on April 15, focused on accountability. During that meeting, Task Force members heard from an education professor at Furman University about the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which is often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card. Professor Paul Thomas argues that politicians and journalists are misinterpreting NAEP results. In a commentary published in the Washington Post, Professor Thomas wrote that:

“The common misreading of NAEP data has allowed the country to ignore what is urgent: addressing the opportunity gap that negatively impacts Black and Brown students, impoverished students, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.” – Paul Thomas, Professor of Education at Furman University (Excerpt from a commentary published in the Washington Post)

Through her work on the Senate Education Committee and the Task Force on Education Funding, Senator Tobin has repeatedly stressed that NAEP proficiency is not a good indicator of a student’s academic success. Find out more in Senator Tobin’s newsletter from last year titled “What does 'Alaska is 51st out of 53' actually mean?” During her time in office, Senator Tobin has consistently urged her legislative colleagues not to make education funding decisions based on NAEP data.

“Most importantly, NAEP proctors, those giving the tests, are very clear that student performance on NAEP assessments should never be considered representative of state education standards or used for high-stakes decision making – like whether we adequately fund our schools.” – Sen. Löki Gale Tobin

At one point in this podcast episode, Senator Tobin discusses the use of chit sheets in the Alaska State Legislature to indicate support or opposition to a particular piece of legislation. Neither Senator Tobin nor Mike Mason knew where the word “chit” came from. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “chit” is a short official note signed by a person in authority, typically written or printed on a slip of paper and granting the bearer permission to do something. The earliest known evidence for the use of the word “chit” is from 1757.

The music for this episode of The Empty Office Podcast is an instrumental version of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” performed by the Danish Radio Big Band & Charlie Watts.

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, Senator Tobin sits down with Thread CEO Stephanie Berglund. Thread serves as Alaska’s child care resource and referral network. This year, Thread is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The toll-free number to contact Thread is 1-800—278-3723.

One of the major points of discussion on the podcast is the annual ROOTS awards, which serve as a recruitment and retention stipend for early childhood educators across Alaska. The current version of the FY 2027 operating budget under consideration in the Alaska House of Representatives includes $7.5 million for the ROOTS awards grants.

During this episode of The Empty Office Podcast, Senator Tobin and Stephanie Berglund also discuss Alaska’s ongoing child care crisis. About 20% of Alaska’s childcare programs have closed in the last 4 years, and over 19,000 Alaska families are still seeking childcare.

Both Senator Tobin and Stephanie Berglund were members of the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care, which wrapped up its work in late 2024. The Task Force commissioned a study on the cost of child care in Alaska and put forward 56 recommendations, outlined in two reports.

* Governor’s Task Force on Child Care - Report 1

* Governor’s Task Force on Child Care - Report 2

* Child Care in Alaska: The True Cost of Care

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

On Sunday, March 29, Senator Löki Gale Tobin and Senator Gary Stevens were invited to speak to school district superintendents, principals, and business officials from across Alaska. The educators were visiting Juneau to participate in the Alaska Council of School Administrators' annual legislative fly-in.

During her speech, Senator Tobin highlighted Senator Stevens’s work on behalf of public education in Alaska and called on educators and lawmakers to support Senate Bill 23, which requires the State Board of Education to make civics education curriculum resources available to school districts. The bill also requires students in Alaska to take a comparative government and civics education course prior to graduation.

During his speech, Senator Stevens reflected on his time in the Alaska State Legislature and encouraged the educators in the room to keep working and advocating for a better public education system.

Senate President Gary Stevens is known as the “Statesman of the Legislature.” He has been a member of the State Senate since 2003. During that time, he has served 8 years as Senate President, a record for the longest tenure in Alaska history. Senator Stevens is retiring this year after serving 26 years 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.com

Today, Senator Tobin welcomes Diane Hirshberg back to The Empty Office Podcast. Hirshberg is the Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which is commonly known as ISER. Hirshberg is a Professor of Education Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage and is well known for her work studying the boarding school experience of Alaska Native students.

In 2023, Diane Hirshberg co-edited the book “Education, Equity and Inclusion: Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable North.” She co-authored the chapter, “Adaptation isn’t just for the tundra: Rethinking teaching and learning in Alaska’s Arctic.”

Diane Hirshberg currently teaches in the Master of Public Policy Program at the UAA College of Business and Public Policy. She has a Ph.D. in Education from UCLA and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University.

In this episode, Senator Tobin and Diane Hirshberg discuss the interplay between politics and public policy. They also delve into the history of ISER, which was created by the Alaska State Legislature in 1961 as a true research organization.

During the conversation, Hirshberg noted that ISER has partnered with the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power on the Alaska Energy Data Gateway, which combines community, socio-economic, and energy data into dashboards, tools, and new datasets to meet Alaska’s energy data needs. The Alaska Energy Data Gateway was discussed at length during a Lunch and Learn presentation for lawmakers and staff on Friday, March 27. ISER was also spotlighted during a Lunch and Learn on March 24, honoring the organization’s 65th anniversary this year.

During Friday’s event, Senator Bill Wielechowski presented Diane Hirshberg with a citation from the Alaska Legislature for her 23 years of service at ISER and for her dedication to academic excellence and teaching.

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

Senator Tobin and Mike Mason have a lively conversation with a team of representatives from the Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG). The organization was formed in 1974 to protect consumers from businesses taking advantage of them in the name of profit.

Today’s guests include:

* Indra Arriaga (Executive Director of AKPIRG)

* Claire Estelle Lubke (Economic Justice Lead at AKPIRG)

* June Okada (Infrastructure Funding Analyst at AKPIRG)

The music for this episode is the song “Broadway Blues” by the late Laco Pastorius.

The person chosen by Indra Arriaga to sit next to Senator Tobin in the Alaska Legislature was the comedian Groucho Marx. The clip below is from “A Night at the Opera.”

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

Today’s podcast serves as an update on the work of the Task Force on Education Funding, which was authorized by the compromise education bill (HB 57) that became law on July 1, 2025.

Today’s guest is Representative Rebecca Himschoot from Sitka. She serves as a co-chair of the Task Force along with Senator Tobin.

Rep. Himschoot is the co-chair of the House Education Committee. Prior to being elected to the Alaska State Legislature, Rebecca Himschoot was an elementary school teacher. She is also a former member of the State Board of Education and the Sitka Assembly.

Topics discussed during the conversation include education funding, chronic absenteeism, and the importance of after-school activities and sports.

The music for this episode is the song “Lady Madonna” performed by Dave Edmunds and the Refreshments.

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

Today, Senator Tobin welcomes Zac Clark to The Empty Office Podcast. In 2025, Clark was selected as the Director of Alumni and Community Engagement for the University of Alaska Anchorage. Prior to his new role, Zac Clark was the UAA associate director of Student Life and Leadership. He has worked for UAA for nearly 20 years.

During this episode, Senator Tobin and Zac Clark discuss the UAA Legislative Internship program and the unique role that alumni play at the University of Alaska.

The music for this episode is the song “Blues from Beyond” by Thurston Moore.

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