Two lawmakers are calling Governor Sean Parnell's proposed oil tax plan corporate giveaways.
Rep. Les Gara and Sen. Hollis French held a press conference Thursday.
French told reporters that while he was in Oregon he saw two oil rigs bound for Alaska, and he took photos of them. French says the photos demonstrate that exploration is underway in Alaska, even without the tax breaks the governor wants to give the industry.
French and Gara said Parnell's tax plans offer no guarantees that if taxes go down production and hiring of alaskans will go up.
"If you want to put more oil in the pipe there are smart ways to do it," said Gara, "if you just want to give away money that's what the Governor is doing. Eight billion dollars over the next five years. These two new oil rigs show there is investment in Alaska."
