As limited petroleum imports and a baby formula shortage have caused a spike in prices, so, too, have the opportunities ripened for gouging customers.
During his Thursday “Team Kentucky” update, Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order, declaring a state of emergency in order to activate the state’s price gouging laws against gasoline.
It also extends a state of emergency on price gouging against baby formula, which much like gasoline has been difficult to procure, and expensive to buy.
With this active warning, consumers in the state can report, and continue to report, examples and experiences with price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General Daniel Cameron, where those actions can be held accountable and forthright.
In a letter of detail from Cameron’s office, Beshear iterated that price gouging has been happening frequently in the Commonwealth since January.
The state of emergencies on gasoline and baby formula will last at least the next 30 days, and can be extended through other measures.
This isn’t the governor’s first actions against rising costs.
In February, an executive order was issued to freeze car values at their January 2021 value for the next two years, in order to improve motor vehicle tax valuation following a pandemic-driven economy.
Also in February, alongside Rep. Angie Hatton of Whitesburg, Beshear authored legislation to temporarily cut the state sales tax from 6% to 5%, but it didn’t pass in this session of the General Assembly.
In March, Beshear and six other state governors submitted a letter to Congress in support of the Gas Prices Relief Act.
And in the first week of June, the state’s gas tax was frozen until the end of the year at 26 cents per gallon.