Kentucky Gov. Beshear, Attorney General Conway Extend Price Gouging Investigation In Wake Of Winter Storm

March 02, 2009 -- FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, along with Attorney General Jack Conway, today announced an extension on the state’s price gouging statutes.

Originally enacted on Jan. 28th, the extension will allow for an additional window of time to investigate any complaints of price gouging that may occur relative to gas, heating and building supplies in the aftermath of January’s winter storm.

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“Due to the extent of storm damage and massive cleanup efforts statewide, today’s extension will ensure Kentuckians are protected from predatory pricing as we continue to recover from the greatest natural disaster in Kentucky history,” Gov. Beshear said.

The extension will be enacted for the next 30 days, with the possibility of an additional extension at the end of this period. The same statutes were triggered during the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, which left hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians without power in September 2008.

"I appreciate Gov. Beshear extending the state of emergency and price-gouging protections for Kentucky consumers," said General Conway. "It will take weeks, if not months, for residents to recover from the ice storm, and this action ensures that Kentuckians will be protected during recovery efforts."

To date, the Office of the Attorney General has received 540 price gouging complaints, on items ranging from generators and kerosene to gasoline and hotel rooms.

To report specific information about possible price gouging, contact the Office of the Attorney General at 1-888-432-9257 or icestormcomplaints@ag.ky.gov.

Source: Kentucky Governor