Attorney general to investigate rising gas prices

RALEIGH — State Attorney General Roy Cooper plans to mail subpoenas this week to look into consumer complaints of price gouging at some gas stations across North Carolina.

WRAL-TV reported that Cooper said he would be looking for “unreasonably excessive” prices.

The claims were triggered by gas prices that approached $5 a gallon at some Raleigh gasoline stations as Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas coast on Friday.

Cooper’s moved came after Gov. Mike Easley on Friday declared a state of “abnormal market disruption” and signed an order allowing Cooper to enforce North Carolina’s anti-gouging law.

Cooper said Friday the law applies to all levels of the fuel supply chain. His office began taking complaints on Saturday.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)