newsminer.com

State lawmakers are back in Juneau today after about a month on the road and a long July 4 weekend. The schedule for the next week is intense.

Today's hearings are going from 1:30 p.m. to 8. Tomorrow's run from 8 to 8.

Lawmakers were hoping to vote on the TransCanada proposal by the 16th -- next Wednesday -- to finish in time for the Council of State Governments conference in Anchorage. That goal is up in the air now, but that's why the schedule got so full, according to Rep. Ralph Samuels.

A few highlights in the schedule are a presentation tomorrow morning by representatives of the Denali pipeline project and a round-table discussion starting Friday about the big economic issues involved with the pipeline project. Exxon, BP, and ConocoPhillips are all scheduled to participate.

Another interesting item is a presentation tomorrow night by representatives of CBI Media Group. This comes, presumably, from a request by Sen. Lesil McGuire, who has repeatedly called on Gov. Palin's administration to use a mediator to work out differences between TransCanada, the state, and the big producers. The administration has repeatedly said no.

Today's hearing is about in-state gas, and is the Legislature's first time to question the administration on Monday's announcement. Lawmakers are questioning Revenue Commissioner Pat Galvin on the genesis of the announcement, with the implication that Palin forced the agreement, presumably to help get the AGIA license passed.

Galvin's answer? Joint discussions started "just recently," but ANGDA and ENSTAR have been working on the general concept for years.