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Podcasts July 16, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast for July 16, 2017

With Casey Reynolds out this week and Congress and the Alaska State Legislature mired in equally sluggish progress on their agendas, Forrest Dunbar is joined by guest host Judy Jessen to discuss the BCRA, oil industry tax policy in HB 111, and they even delve into Trump’s deepening scandal involving his campaign’s (and family’s) collusion with Russia. Then pollster Ivan Moore stops by to unveil results of his latest polling on Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Don Young, Bill Walker, and, in a surprise, tells us who Alaskans would vote for in a head-to-head match-up between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

Podcasts July 9, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast for July 9, 2017

It has been an odd week in Alaska politics. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg came to the Last Frontier, learned our savage ways, and decided to educate the world about them (only to get a few details wrong). Then, with our endless legislative special session now set to focus on oil industry tax policy (HB 111), the Republican State Senate Majority, including Sen. Pete Kelly and Sen. Cathy Giessel, seemingly held a press conference to rail against cushy cash subsidies state government gives to oil companies. Wait, it was Republicans complaining about what a sweet, sweet deal the resource industry gets in Alaska? Democrats in the House Majority responded by holding a press conference of their own to point out some fine print in the GOP theater that makes the Senate plan much more oil friendly than they let on.  Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar sort through all of those political shenanigans, talk some healthcare and weed policy, and even bring in Alaska Tax Division Director Ken Alper to explain the fine points of oil tax policy at play in the HB 111 fight.

Podcasts July 2, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast for July 1, 2017

The Senate’s health care bill continues to put Alaska’s Senior Senator, Lisa Murkowski, in the national spotlight as one the bill’s must-have votes. Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar discuss the politics of the situation and then we invite in Becky Hultberg from the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association to tell us how the policies in the bill will affect Alaskans. We also delve into the state legislature’s remaining work to be done on oil and gas tax credits and recent polling being done in Anchorage that may illuminate April’s mayoral election.

Podcasts June 25, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast for June 25, 2017

With the Senate’s new health care bill and the Legislature’s budget deal dominating Alaskan politics, that is right where Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar dive in. First, we talk with Rep. Ivy Spohnholz about how the state operating budget deal came together and what made it in. Then Disability Law Center of Alaska Legal Director Mark Regan joins us for a detailed discussion what the new health care bill looks like and whether Alaska’s Senior Senator Lisa Murkowski will be able to find enough to like for it to get her vote.

Podcasts, Uncategorized June 18, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast for June 18, 2017

As the state financial crisis brings Alaska within two weeks of a state government shutdown, Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar get a blow-by-blow account of the legislature’s budget battle from the Alaska Dispatch News’ on-the-ground reporter, Nat Herz.  Before getting to Nat, Casey and Forrest talk about the shooting at in Washington D.C, the resurrection of the AHCA in the U.S. Senate, and the Alaska GOP’s stunning failure to eject any of the three Homer city council members they were targeting for recall this week.

Podcasts May 28, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast for May 28, 2017

On our May 28 episode of Alaska’s most listened-to political podcast, Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar discuss Trump’s new budget and more White House scandals, Sen. Dan Sullivan’s town hall, and the legislature’s voting down Drew Phoenix’s nomination to the Human Rights Commission because he’s transgender. Casey and Forrest also talk with Rep. Jason Grenn about his first legislative session and Matt Buxton about taking over the helm of The Midnight Sun.

Podcasts May 7, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast May 7

It’s a big show this week. On our May 7 episode of Alaska’s most listened to political podcast, Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar are joined by Rep. Chuck Kopp to discuss some issues he is working on involving Alaska Railroad right of ways and restitution funds for crime victims. It is a pretty great conversation, and any other week it would be our headliner interview. This week, however, we are also joined by Gov. Bill Walker, his Chief of Staff Scott Kendall, and Revenue Commissioner Randy “Wild Bill” Hoffbeck to discuss the latest developments in what Forrest has termed “The budget standoff presented by Pete Kelly.”

Podcasts March 26, 2017

The Midnight Sun Podcast (March 26)

In our March 26 episode, Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar invite Alaska’s former U.S. Senator Mark Begich back to discuss the failure of the GOP’s healthcare bill in Congress and what it means for Alaska and our congressional delegation, the Alaska state budget, Begich’s effort to increase the number of red state Democrats in his party, and we even get into Anchorage local politics a little bit.