Wednesday, September 21, 2005
On this day:

AAA Alabama supports bill to toughen anti-price gouging law

From the Montgomery Advertiser:
[Alabama AAA spokesman Clay] Ingram said he would support a bill to be introduced to the Alabama Legislature in January that would make price gouging a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

The bill would lower the percentage of justifiable increase at the pumps from 25 percent to 10 percent.

"We're behind them 100 percent on that bill," he said. "That law was written when gas was probably 99 cents a gallon, and 25 percent (increase) at that time would have probably been a pretty reasonable amount because it would have been right at a quarter."
The Tuscaloosa News calls the bill a "welcome move," but Walter Williams had an excellent column last week explaining why they might want to rethink that position.