East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew Gray

Zoo siab txais tos txhua tus los rau Tsab Ntawv East Anchorage; Hnub no lub xov tooj cua luv luv no yuav piav qhia txog Alaska cov neeg ua haujlwm txoj cai hauv lus Hmoob. Kuv lub npe yog Emery Yaj , kuv yog tus txhais lus Hmoob rau tus tuav thiab coj xov tooj cua Andrew Gray. Andrew Gray yog tus sawv cev rau East Anchorage hauv Alaska State House. Cov ntaub ntawv thiab lus tham hauv ntu no yog raws li kev xam phaj xyoo 2024 los ntawm tus thawj coj Jeremy Applegate hauv lub chaw Haujlwm Saib Xyuas nyiaj thiab Sijhawm rau xeev Alaska cov neeg ua haujlwm txoj cai. Txhua tus neeg ua haujlwm hauv Alaska muaj cai tau txais kev them nyiaj ncaj ncees thiab vaj huam sib luag raws li txoj cai. Ntau tus neeg ua haujlwm tsis paub txog txoj cai no, ua rau cov tswv ntawv lawv lub chaw ua hauj lwm coj tsis ncaj rau lawv. Lub hom phiaj ntawm lub xov tooj cua no yog los qhia rau cov neeg ua haujlwm hauv Alaska kom paub txog txoj cai ntawm kev them nyiaj thiab vaj huam sib luag.

Ito ay isang Filipino na bersyon ng isang nakaraang podcast episode. Ang layunin ay upang turuan ang mga manggagawa tungkol sa kanilang mga karapatan. Ang interpreter ay si Elsie Janes. Kung naniniwala ka na ang iyong mga karapatan ay nilabag, makipag-ugnayan sa Alaska Department of Labor sa statewide.wagehour@alaska.gov o tumawag sa 907-269-4900. Hindi mo kailangang magsalita ng Ingles.

이번 팟캐스트 에피소드는 송명숙 번역가가 참여한 한국어 버전입니다. 알래스카의 모든 근로자는 공정한 임금과 안전한 근무 조건을 누릴 자격이 있습니다. 귀하의 권리가 침해되었다고 생각되면 907-269-4900으로 전화하십시오. 불만사항을 제기하기 위해 영어를 구사할 수 있을 필요는 없습니다.

This short episode is largely based on information gathered from the podcast interview with Jeremy Applegate, the chief of the Wage and Hour division for the State of Alaska Department of Labor, from May 6, 2024. To listen to the whole interview, click here. The plan is to release this short guide in Spanish, Tagalog, Hmong, Ukranian, and other languages so that non-English speakers will also have easy access to this information. All workers in Alaska are entitled to fair pay and treatment under the law. Many workers are unaware of their rights, though, and this enables an employer to take advantage of them. The purpose of this podcast is to educate workers in Alaska about their rights to make sure that they are paid and treated fairly. To email the Alaska Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division, use this address: statewide.wagehour@alaska.gov To call them, this is their number: 907-269-4600. This number is answered between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays. You do not need to speak English to contact the Department of Labor.

Amber Batts is a founding member of the Community United for Safety and Protection (also known as CUSP), an Alaska-based group of current and former sex workers, sex trafficking survivors, and allies working towards safety and protection in Alaska’s sex industry. Amber began working as sex worker at the age of 30 to escape an abusive marriage while supporting her two young children. We discuss her path through the Anchorage sex industry, the Alaska legal system, and her political advocacy today. Please note today’s episode will contain discussion of sex work, child sexual abuse, substance addiction, overdose, and violence. Alaska Beacon click here. click here.

Rebecca Braun of Juneau moved to Alaska about 30 years ago initially to work for the forestry service. She then taught math and science at Juneau-Douglas High School before randomly applying for a journalist position with The Alaska Budget Report. The Alaska Budget Report, which no longer exists, was a nonpartisan publication that covered state government in depth. In 2005 she purchased that publication and became the editor-in-chief; she did deep dives into the VECO bribery scandal as well as Sarah Palin’s time as governor. After selling The Alaska Budget Report, she served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Governor Bill Walker. Today she is a Senior Policy Strategist with the Alaska Venture Fund, which is a philanthropic organization seeking a more sustainable future for our state. We discuss the sudden death of her husband in a tragic acccident when their children were young, and her diagnosis with advanced breast cancer and melanoma of the retina. Link to Rebecca's Blog, "An improvised life" Link to Rebecca's most recent ADN editorial: "Alaskans want more school funding. Dunleavy and legislators should listen."

Donna Arduin is most well known in Alaska as Governor Dunleavy's 2019 director of the Office of Management and Budget. She is currently staff for representative Ben Carpenter of Nikiski. As Dunleavy's OMB Director, she advised major cuts to the state budget including eliminating the state ferry system, dismantling the University of Alaska, and drastically cutting funding for the K-12 public education system. Prior to her work in Alaska, she earned a reputation as a "budget fixer" for her work with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, Governors Jeb Bush and Rick Scott in Florida, Governor George Pataki in New York, and most recently with Governor Greg Gianforte in Montana. She is the President of the consulting firm Ardoin, Laffer Moore, which she founded 20 years ago with the man known as the father of supply side economics, Arthur Laffer. Supply side economics is the theory that economic growth can most effectively be fostered by lowering taxes, decreasing government regulation, and allowing more free trade.

Jeremy Applegate is the chief of Wage and Hour for the State of Alaska Department of Labor. The goal of today’s episode is to inform workers, particularly seasonal workers who may have never worked in Alaska before, of their rights. Important things to know up front: workers are entitled to a written contract at the start of their employment which specifies how much they will be paid, when they will be paid, and how they will be paid. Most workers in Alaska are entitled to the state minimum wage of $11.73 an hour, and if a worker works more than 8 hours in a single day or more than 40 hours in a single week, most are entitled to overtime payment. If you believe that your rights as a worker have been violated call: 907-269-4900 Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or email: statewide.wagehour@alaska.gov or click here. You do not need to speak English to contact this office and make a claim.

Municipal attorney of Bethel Libby Bakalar is today's guest. Libby became famous in Alaska for her blog, One Hot Mess, and then her social media presence as One Hot Mess Alaska. Her outspokenness led to her unlawfully firing by the Dunleavy administration when she was working there as an assistant attorney general. Today, we discuss all of that as well as her complicated feelings about the conflict in Israel as a Jewish woman and descendant of Holocaust survivors.

Today is the final episode in our series on Transgender Rights. I, Rep. Andrew Gray, explain the purpose of this series and broadcast the special order that I gave on the Alaska State House floor on April 17, 2024. It provides an olive branch to folks who may be on the other side with regards to these issues. It is my sincere belief that the vast majority of those opposed to trans rights have not had conversations with trans people, their families, or health care providers. If they had had the talks that I have had over the past ten days, they would not support the anti-trans legislation currently being considered. The impulse for this Trans Rights series is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

Dr. Marci Bowers is a pelvic and gynecologic surgeon with more than 32 years’ experience. She is the president of WPATH – the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Her gender diverse work has been highlighted through appearances on Oprah, CBS Sunday Morning, Discovery Health and the TLC reality series, “I am Jazz." She was interviewed in 2021 by Leslie Stahl for “60 Minutes.” Dr. Bowers is recognized as one of the 100 most influential LGBT people on the Guardian’s World Pride Power List. She has performed more than 2250 primary Male-to-Female Vaginoplasties and 3900 Gender Affirming Surgeries overall. This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The impulse for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

Dr. Joshua Safer is the executive director of the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in New York. He is the founding medical director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine, and he was the inaugural president of the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH). He serves on the Global Education Initiative for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Dr. Safer was a co-author of the Endocrine Society Guidelines for the medical care of transgender patients. This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

Becca Bernard is a former environmental lawyer and a Unitarian Universalist community minister based in Anchorage. She is also mom to two children, one of whom is trans. This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

David Leslie is an Inupiaq Sipiniq (Two-Spirit) living in Fairbanks. He is a frequent testifier against the anti-trans bills moving through the Alaska State House. We discuss his specific perspective as a queer Alaska Native man. To check out the book recommended by our guest, Yuuyaraq: The Way of The Human Being, by Harold Napoleon, Click here. This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

Henry is a 15 year old trans boy. He and his mother are the guests today discussing their experience in Alaska. No last names will be given in the interest of their safety. This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

Jessica Kalarchik was an Army First Sergeant who deployed with me and the Alaska Army National Guard’s 1-297th infantry battalion to Kosovo 2019-2020. 1st Sergeant Kalarchik presented as a very masculine man, and I never suspected that she was a trans woman. She was medically retired after 31 years in the military during her next deployment to Poland. Leaving the military gave her the freedom to begin her life as a openly trans woman, with the support of her wife, her daughters, and her grandchildren. She is the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit brought by the ACLU against her birth state of Montana over the right to amend the gender on her birth certificate. To read more about the lawsuit, click here. This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

The Banning family consists of: LindseyCharlieEzzyEarl This episode is part of a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights.

Aaron Poe has been a wildlife biologist in Alaska since 1998. He is the father of a trans daughter in the Anchorage School District, and today we discuss that experience. This episode is the first in a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth. Alaska has many big problems. The pressing need to increase the funding of our public school system and finding a solution for an imminent energy crisis, for example. But instead of working on these very real, very substantial problems, we are spending the last weeks of session debating whether trans youth exist and have rights. They do exist; they do have rights; and over the next few days we will be hearing from them and their families. Aaron Poe recommends the following Ted Talk, "What it means to be intersex," by Susannah Temko. Click here to watch.

Alaska State Senator James Kaufman represents the Abbott Loop and Hillside areas of Anchorage. Although in his teens and 20s he was a guitar player & song writer for several successful rock bands, James began earning real money as an aircraft mechanic in Houston, Texas. He quickly found himself taking on bigger and bigger management positions which ultimately led to him transitioning to the oil and gas field which eventually brought him to Alaska with BP. He was elected to the state house in 2020 where he served in the Republican minority, and then to the Senate in 2022 where he now serves in the bipartisan supermajority.

Reggie Joule of Kotzebue is a former Alaska State House Representative and the former Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor. He is listed in the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame as: “the greatest practitioner of the blanket toss in the long history of the World Eskimo Indian Olympics.” His skill in that Alaska Native sport led to his appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson twice. He ran for the Alaska State House the first time in 1988, but it he lost. Eight years later he ran and won and represented the North Slope in the state house for 15 years before running for mayor.