Nixon Goes After Price-Gouging Gas Stations

Attorney General Jay Nixon is demanding that gas stations which hiked prices after Tuesday’s terrorist attacks pay civil penalties or face the possibility of a lawsuit. Nixon wants the stations to pay three times their profits in penalties – or $750 per station, whichever is larger. If the money is not paid by October 1st, lawsuits will be filed. In addition to those penalties, Nixon wants each station to pay $250 to cover the costs of the investigation into price-gouging. Stations that do not resolve the matter and are found to be in violation of Missouri’s consumer protection laws could face fines of $1,000 per sale.