As promised (read more here), a key bill for Alaska's western and northern coastal communities got a hearing this afternoon in Senate Finance - a hearing that decided little, but provoked angry words from Sen. Lyman Hoffman, one of the most powerful men in the Capitol.

Hoffman, typically quiet, is one of those legislators who people really stop and listen to when he chooses to speak. Clearly frustrated by what he sees as the administration's refusal to accept an olive branch offered by North Slope leaders, Hoffman raised his voice and took a state employee to task.

Randy Bates, head of the state's coastal management division, calmly stuck to his guns, laying out the administration's opposition and asking for more time to thoroughly weigh the latest version. Hoffman wasn't pleased.

"It seems as though the department is taking a stall tactic regarding this legislation," Hoffman blasted, adding that people who live along the coast want a say in the big decisions others are making that could affect their daily lives. He pointed several times to concessions the sponsors made in a new version, including allowing the governor to appoint the entire board that would weigh district policies for approval.

"That is the ultimate compromise," Hoffman said. "You get to pick your own team ... And yet, the compromise isn't good enough. Give you a winning hand, and you don't even look at it. The people out there, you're affecting their daily lives with what happens."

At issue is management of coastal zones designated by the federal government to give local voice to state and federal decisions that affect water, air and other aspects of life that aren't stationary. Development up or down the coast, out in the sea or on land can impact animals, environmentally fragile areas, air and water quality and more.

The bill would help local districts set enforceable policies. Rep. Reggie Joule, D-Kotzebue, is behind the same bill in the House (HB74), and says the bills would provide "a meaningful local input."

But Gov. Sean Parnell was pretty clear speaking with press recently that he opposes the bills, and doesn't believe it's right to give local communities such a powerful say in resource development matters that affect the entire state, and on which the state's treasury relies.

The issue is paramount to Bush lawmakers (read more here). They're passionate about this one as the prospect of offshore oil and gas development looms this summer, and as the feds press on with critical habitat designations for the polar bear, among other actions. Both are expected to impact a subsistence way of life that's important culturally and practically along Alaska's Arctic coasts.

Despite a lengthy hearing, nothing changed on Tuesday. Officials with the state's law, natural resources and environmental conservation departments protested they had little to no time to adequately review proposed changes to the original bill, and thus weren't able to testify. Committee co-chairman Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, told them to have their testimony in by noon Wednesday, and that the panel would take the bill up again once that was ready.

More public testimony could also be in the works. The oil and gas industry seems as passionately opposed to the bill as people from the Slope are for it; industry reps testified recently that they see the bill granting veto powers to local districts, and warned of a shut-down of Slope activity if the bill passes.

A handful of industry lobbyists and managers were at Tuesday's hearing, along with Alaska Oil and Gas Association Director Marilyn Crockett; Jason Brune, director of the influential Resource Development Council; and Paul Laird, at the helm of The Alliance, whose members are involved in oil and gas industry support services.

The North Slope Borough also attended in force. Mayor Edward Itta testified briefly. He was joined by the borough's attorney and government affairs liaison, and lobbyist former state Sen. Al Adams, who represents the North Slope and Northwest Arctic boroughs.