Attorney General Reacts To Gas Prices

Mike Beebes office says they are diligently working to make sure gas fixing isnt going on in Northwest Arkansas. Beebe issued this statement to KNWA exclusively. "I understand the frustrations that Arkansans have felt about gas prices, especially in Northwest Arkansas, for more than a year now. It`s unfortunate that such frustrations led one of your viewers to call KNWA and claim that someone in the attorney general`s office said that gas prices aren`t `a big deal`. That is absolutely not true. In fact, while that call was being made yesterday, one of my senior investigators was in Washington, D.C., meeting with state and federal law-enforcement officials about gas prices. My office is also talking to regional distributors in our current investigation of recent pricing practices. If evidence of price-fixing is found, we will take legal action against those responsible." Mike Beebes office encourages consumers to call his office if they do believe there are suspicious pricing practices going on. But he also said while high prices are frustrating, gasoline is a free market commodity and the prices will differ from region to region. Arkansas does have a gas gouging law, but that law only takes effect when a state of emergency is declared. In the last year, Mike Beebe`s office says they have looked into hundreds of consumer complaints regarding gas prices.