Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson testifies before state senators during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Juneau. (Becky Bohrer | Associated Press File)

Opinion: Trafficking in Alaska must end

One of my priorities is to combat this scourge and eliminate it from our communities.

  • Jan 25, 2020
  • Attorney General Kevin Clarkson
Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson testifies before state senators during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Juneau. (Becky Bohrer | Associated Press File)
By Rep. Cathy Tilton (Courtesy photo)

Opinion: Revised constitutional spending limit key to Alaska’s fiscal stability

I view a revised constitutional spending limit as contract with Alaskans for fiscal discipline.

  • Jan 25, 2020
  • By Rep. Cathy Tilton
By Rep. Cathy Tilton (Courtesy photo)

Oil tax changes require more careful consideration

We all know Alaska remains at a crossroads.

  • Jan 18, 2020
  • Nicholas Begich III, OneALASKA co-chair
Hal Shepherd. (Photo courtesy of Hal Shepherd)

Point of View: This is a bad time to harass Kachemak Bay wildlife

In 2019 several thousand common murres starved to death in the Kachemak Bay.

Hal Shepherd. (Photo courtesy of Hal Shepherd)
Boaters can be seen on the Kenai River on Sept. 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy Great Basin Incident Management Team)

Voices of the Peninsula: Sportfishing is critical in Cook Inlet; the state should protect it

There’s a misconception that commercial fishing is business and sportfishing is just for fun.

  • Jan 16, 2020
Boaters can be seen on the Kenai River on Sept. 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy Great Basin Incident Management Team)
Suzanne Greenwood. (Photo provided)

Point of View: Disamenity and invention

Jet Skis are not right for the bay

Suzanne Greenwood. (Photo provided)
In this May 29, 2019 file photo, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters in his office at the state Capitol in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

Working together, Alaskans will come up with long-term budget solutions

Shared sacrifice will be required as we regain our fiscal footing.

  • Jan 6, 2020
  • By GOV. MIKE DUNLEAVY
In this May 29, 2019 file photo, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters in his office at the state Capitol in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)
Opinion: The 2010s were a decade of perseverance for small businesses

Opinion: The 2010s were a decade of perseverance for small businesses

True to the entrepreneurial spirit and American dream, small businesses persevered.

Opinion: The 2010s were a decade of perseverance for small businesses
A Chinook salmon pictured in Oregon’s McKenzie River. This adult fish is shorter in length than its predecessors were.                                (File photo)

Voices of the Peninsula: Politicians must keep their promises and protect our salmon

Ours are but a few of the last great remaining intact salmon runs.

  • Jan 6, 2020
A Chinook salmon pictured in Oregon’s McKenzie River. This adult fish is shorter in length than its predecessors were.                                (File photo)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy makes an announcement via pre-recorded video on House Bill 2001 and the Permanent Fund Dividend on Monday, August 19, 2019.

Making Alaska a safer and more prosperous place for women

More women currently serve in the governor’s cabinet than any administration in recent memory.

  • Jan 1, 2020
  • By Commissioners Julie Anderson, Nancy Dahlstrom, Corri Feige, Dr. Tamika L. Ledbetter, Amanda Price, and Kelly Tshibaka
Gov. Mike Dunleavy makes an announcement via pre-recorded video on House Bill 2001 and the Permanent Fund Dividend on Monday, August 19, 2019.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to members of the media before welcoming Juneau residents to the Governor’s Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)                                Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to members of the media before welcoming Juneau residents to the Governor’s Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Dunleavy: Operation Lady Justice brings violence against women front and center

Alaskan women are killed by men at the highest rate in the country.

  • Dec 14, 2019
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to members of the media before welcoming Juneau residents to the Governor’s Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)                                Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to members of the media before welcoming Juneau residents to the Governor’s Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Juneau residents line up outside of the Planet Alaska Gallery to sign an application petition to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Opinion: The incompetence of unacknowledged conflicts of interest

The application to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy alleged “Neglect of Duties, Incompetence, and/or Lack of Fitness” in four specific actions. In his advice to the… Continue reading

  • Nov 17, 2019
Juneau residents line up outside of the Planet Alaska Gallery to sign an application petition to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
UAA’s Community Technical College Dean Denise Runge poses in the automotive lab. (Photo courtesy University of Alaska Anchorage)

Alaska Voices: Partnering with industries to build a stronger workforce

University of Alaska Anchorage works closely with local industries to constantly align our programs.

  • Nov 16, 2019
  • Denise K. Runge dean of the UAA Community Technical College
UAA’s Community Technical College Dean Denise Runge poses in the automotive lab. (Photo courtesy University of Alaska Anchorage)
A BP sponsorship sign is shown at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage, Alaska, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. BP announced plans Aug. 27, 2019, to sell its Alaska assets to Hilcorp, and its plan to pull out of Alaska could leave a big hole for nonprofits and other programs that benefited from the oil giant’s donations and its employee volunteers. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Voices of the Peninsula: Change is hard, but can be good for business and good for the economy

Alaskans respect the fact that we live in a wild, unpredictable state. And that’s not just the weather. Decades ago, Alaska hitched its economic wagon… Continue reading

  • Nov 11, 2019
A BP sponsorship sign is shown at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage, Alaska, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. BP announced plans Aug. 27, 2019, to sell its Alaska assets to Hilcorp, and its plan to pull out of Alaska could leave a big hole for nonprofits and other programs that benefited from the oil giant’s donations and its employee volunteers. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
In this April 1989, file photo, an oil covered bird is examined on an island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez spill. Thirty years after the supertanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef and spilled about 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound, the state of Alaska is looking whether to change its requirements for oil spill prevention and response plans, a move that one conservationist says could lead to a watering down of environmental regulations. (AP Photo/Jack Smith, File)

Opinion: Plan to review oil spill plans not about gutting regulations

Let’s not wait for another disaster to force us into an “after-the-fact” review.

  • Nov 11, 2019
In this April 1989, file photo, an oil covered bird is examined on an island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez spill. Thirty years after the supertanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef and spilled about 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound, the state of Alaska is looking whether to change its requirements for oil spill prevention and response plans, a move that one conservationist says could lead to a watering down of environmental regulations. (AP Photo/Jack Smith, File)
Alaska Pioneer Home resident Phyllis Woodman, right, receives a cone of ice cream from employee Myra Kalbaugh during the home’s weekly ice cream social on Friday, March 8, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Voices of the Peninsula: Dunleavy turned his back on our veterans and pioneers

Some folks at Pioneer Homes were told that their monthly bill could go above $15,000 per month.

  • Nov 7, 2019
  • By Chris Vaughan
Alaska Pioneer Home resident Phyllis Woodman, right, receives a cone of ice cream from employee Myra Kalbaugh during the home’s weekly ice cream social on Friday, March 8, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during an interview at the Juneau Empire on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Alaska Voices: Investing in fisheries pays off

Alaskans know just how essential fisheries are to life in the 49th state.

  • Nov 7, 2019
  • By Lisa Murkowski
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during an interview at the Juneau Empire on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Point of View: Say ‘yes’ to Alaska Fair Share Oil Tax

Point of View: Say ‘yes’ to Alaska Fair Share Oil Tax

Constantly living from your savings account has been a bad idea.

Point of View: Say ‘yes’ to Alaska Fair Share Oil Tax
Dr. Alan Boraas leads a tour of Kalifornsky Village, a former Native settlement, in April 2014. Boraas was a professor of anthropology at Kenai Peninsula College, an honorary member of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the driving force behind the creation, maintenance and expansion of the Tsalteshi Ski Trails. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Neyman)

Voices of the Peninsula: Remembering a man who challenged and inspired us

From Alan, there was always something new to learn.

  • Nov 5, 2019
  • By Clark Fair
Dr. Alan Boraas leads a tour of Kalifornsky Village, a former Native settlement, in April 2014. Boraas was a professor of anthropology at Kenai Peninsula College, an honorary member of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the driving force behind the creation, maintenance and expansion of the Tsalteshi Ski Trails. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Neyman)
FILE - In this April 1989, file photo, an oil covered bird is examined on an island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez spill. Thirty years after the supertanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef and spilled about 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound, the state of Alaska is looking whether to change its requirements for oil spill prevention and response plans, a move that one conservationist says could lead to a watering down of environmental regulations. (AP Photo/Jack Smith, File)                                The Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill March 24, 1989, blackened hundreds of miles of coastline in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, devasting wildlife and altering lives in fishing communities for generations. (John Gaps III / Associated Press)

Alaska Voices: Initiative puts Alaska’s coastal communities, consumers at risk

An effort is underway that could strip away Alaska’s oil spill safeguards.

  • Oct 31, 2019
  • By Michael Munger, Executive Director, Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council
FILE - In this April 1989, file photo, an oil covered bird is examined on an island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez spill. Thirty years after the supertanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef and spilled about 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound, the state of Alaska is looking whether to change its requirements for oil spill prevention and response plans, a move that one conservationist says could lead to a watering down of environmental regulations. (AP Photo/Jack Smith, File)                                The Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill March 24, 1989, blackened hundreds of miles of coastline in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, devasting wildlife and altering lives in fishing communities for generations. (John Gaps III / Associated Press)