Posted 9/19/01 More gas price news from state officials By T.W. Budig ECM capitol reporter State officials are imploring Minnesota motorist not to succumb to panic and pay outrageous prices for gas. And theyíre gathering the names of gas stations that have been price gouging with idea of making their names known to the public. ìIt was a panic. Thereís no other way to describe it,î said Commerce Commissioner Jim Burnstein today (Sept. 12), speaking of the compulsion that had motorists lining up at service stations with the idea of beating a rumored, massive gas price increase. ìThereís plenty of gasoline,î said Burnstein, speaking at a press conference at the stateís emergency operations center in St. Paul. ìThereís no need for spending $4 or $5 a gallon of gas,î said Burnstein. Gasoline stocks are adequate in Minnesota, he said. In fact, thereís a surplus right now, he said. Burnstein said he had spoken with one retailer whoíd been charging $4 a gallon for gas and was told that as long as people were willing to pay it, theyíd charge the price. The state cannot place price caps and Gov. Ventura wouldnít favor them anyway, he said. Although Attorney General Mike Hatch gave no estimate on the number of retailers that are charging inflated gas prices ñ thereís a lot of urban legends, he said ñ his office has been inundated with calls concerning skyrocketed gas prices, he explained. In response, the Attorney Generalís Office is collecting the names and addresses of gas stations reportedly price gouging, said Hatch. Any station engaged in price gouging will be served a civil investigative demand requiring the owner to detail recent wholesale gas prices and the prices theyíre asking consumers at the pump. At the minimum, the names of gas stations found to be gouging will be made public at a Sept. 26 House Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Develop-ment Policy Committee hearing examining gas prices. Owners will also be asked to testify before the committee. Committee Chairman Rep. Gregory Davids, R, Preston, said Hatch and he are not concerned about the fifteen or twenty cent a gallon price increase but increases of $3, $4, $5, a gallon, he said, speaking via phone at a press conference in the Attorney Generalís Office today. ìThatís gouging,î he said. He had credible information that a station in Woodbury had been charging $5 a gallon for gas and a station in Albert Lea charging $4 a gallon, said Davids. Hatch said the issue of price gouging is as much as an issue of moral outrage as legalities. He counseled Minnesotans not to panic ñ that what terrorist want, he said. Price gougers are taking advantage of the uncertainty caused by the terrorist attacks, he explained. Publicizing the names of businesses caught price gouging and the moral outrage it would engender can be more of a deterrent than a fine or a few days in jail, said Hatch. The Attorney Generalís Office has limited power in dealing with price gouging, said Davids. One thing his committee may consider is giving the office more ìteethî in dealing with price gougers, he said. ©Post Review