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Ephraim Froelich, a Juneau resident, testifies in support of House Bill 69 on Jan. 29, 2025. His son, who attends first grade in the Juneau School District, sits beside him. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Alaskans need to choose between unchecked school funding or improved student achievement

The calls for boosting education funding by increasing Alaska’s Base Student Allocation (BSA), while mostly well-intentioned, frequently miss…

Jane Hale smiles for a photo as the wind blows a newly raised LGBTQ+ flag at the Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building downtown in June of 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Juneau’s transgender community and the church

I think of religion the way I think of marriage: a great idea in theory, but in practice,…

Eric Antrim inspecting bridges near Kake in 2023. (Courtesy photo)

Opinion

My Turn: In response to the mass firings of Forest Service and other federal workers

I am Eric Antrim, a proud member and the elected Recording Secretary for National Federation of Federal Employees…

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 24, 2025. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times)

Opinion

Opinion: The mirror’s reflection Trump and Vance can’t see

While speaking with reporters on Tuesday after a meeting with the King of Jordan, President Donald Trump tried…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: An education lession for Begich

Rep. Begich has no public opinion on the dismantling of the Department of Education yet, although Linda McMahon…

The Constitution of Alaska on display in the Seattle University School of Law library in January 2023. (Creative Commons photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Actions in D.C. means Alaskans need to demand rights in state’s Constitution

The Constitution of Alaska is a masterpiece of careful thought and straightforward language. Among other things it enshrines…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Murkowski’s vote could benefit Alaskans’ health

Doesn’t everyone value their health over corporate profits? We need a Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Democracy on life support

We are facing a Constitutional cataclysm, and we need all members of Congress; every man, woman and child;…

Southeast Alaska LGBTQ+ Alliance Board Chair JoLynn Shriber reads a list the names of killed transgender people as Thunder Mountain High School students Kyla Stevens, center, and Laila Williams hold flags in the wind during a transgender remembrance at Marine Park on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: It’s hard enough to be a trans kid in the US without Trump trying to erase them

Donald Trump is using his power as president of the United States to bully trans children. Signing multiple…

The White House in Washington, Jan. 28, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Opinion

My Turn: An American citizen speaks out

As Americans, we teach our children about the rule of law, and that it is the right of…

The waterfront area for Huna Totem Corp.’s proposed Aak’w Landing. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Aak’w Landing offers growth opportunities amidst declines in Juneau

Juneau has two bright possibilities for economic development along the waterfront: the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Storis and…

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2025. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)

Opinion

Opinion: Dismantling the government. And the Bill of Rights

President Donald Trump has asked more than two million federal employees to consider resigning. If they leave their…

A preliminary design of Huna Totem’s Aak’w Landing shows an idea for how the project’s Seawalk could connect with the city’s Seawalk at Gold Creek (left). (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: To make Juneau affordable, grow our economy

Based on the deluge of comments on social media, recent proposals by the city to dramatically escalate debt…

The White House in Washington, Jan. 28, 2025. A federal judge said on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, that she intended to temporarily block the Trump administration from imposing a sweeping freeze on trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans, adding to the pushback against an effort by the White House’s Office and Management and Budget. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Opinion

My Turn: A plea for Alaska’s delegation to actively oppose political coup occurring in D.C.

An open letter to Alaska’s Congressional delegation:

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) questions Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday morning, Jan. 14, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

Opinion

Opinion: Sen. Sullivan doesn’t know the meaning of leadership

Last Wednesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan should have been prepared for questions about President Donald Trump’s pardons of the…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: In the spirit of McKinley, a new name for Juneau

Here is a modest proposal for making Juneau great again.

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, following his inauguration as the 47th president. Legal experts said the president was testing the boundaries of executive power with aggressive orders designed to stop the country from transitioning to renewable energy. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Opinion

Opinion: Sen. McConnell, not God, made Trump’s retribution presidency possible

I’m not at all impressed by President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at maximizing the development and production…

Juneau Assembly members confer with city administrative leaders during a break in an Assembly meeting Monday, Nov 18, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Community affordability takes a back seat to Assembly spending

Less than four months ago, Juneau voters approved a $10 million bond for wastewater facility upgrades and a…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Informing the Public?

The recent Los Angeles area firestorms have created their own media circus with lots of finger-pointing, partisan blaming,…

Bins of old PFAS-containing firefighting foams are seen on Oct. 24, 2024, at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport fire department headquarters. The PFAS foams are due to be removed and sent to a treatment facility. The airport, like all other state-operated airports, is to switch to non-PFAS firefighting foams by the start of 2025, under a new state law. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Opinion

Opinion: A change for safer attire: PFAS Alternatives Act 2023

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are man-made synthetic chemicals with substantial fire and water-resistant properties.…