Beshear Orders Extension of Price Gouging Protections

At the request of the attorney general, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has signed an executive order to extend price gouging consumer protection laws by an additional 30 days.The initial protections implemented by Beshear in response to last month's severe storms and flooding are set to expire May 26. The extension will allow state officials to investigate into any complaints of price gouging that may occur relative to gas, building supplies, hotels and other goods and services.“My administration has worked hard to provide assistance to and protect citizens and communities around the state after these storms,” Beshear said in a news release. “This extension will protect potential victims from price-gouging by contractors and suppliers of building services as citizens begin rebuilding their homes and businesses.”The governor's extension comes in the wake of a judge's ruling in Franklin Circuit Court against Attorney General Jack Conway, who accused Marathon Petroleum price gouging during a State of Emergency declared on April 26th.