Lawmakers want answers about state's erratic gas pricesby Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)
Drivers filled up their tanks in Plymouth Tuesday as gas prices there fell to a level not seen in quite some time. Lawmakers are holding a hearing to try to find out why the price of gas seems to fluctuate so wildly throughout the state of Indiana. (WSBT photo) The pain at the pump has drivers frustrated and lawmakers, too. Now state leaders say they want answers. Multimedia Related Content
A bi-partisan group of state lawmakers will hold a hearing Wednesday on gas pricing policies in Indiana. Gasoline retailers and petroleum executives are on the list to testify. Lawmakers want to know why gas prices seem to fluctuate in Indiana so wildly, from day to day and from community to community. Tuesday, gas stations in Plymouth posted the lowest prices seen in quite some time. That was a pleasant surprise for area residents. “I noticed it was $3.12 and I thought I'd better get it," one driver told WSBT News. After weeks at nearly $4 a gallon, drivers like Fred Insco happily lined up to fill their gas tanks for less. “I really like it and I hope it comes down more,” he said. Just 20 miles up the road, in South Bend, drivers are filling up for 40 cents more. South to Culver, one driver estimated it’s $3.30. So what gives? “Sometimes I think they're gouging and sometimes they're not," Insco said. As confused and frustrated as consumers are, state lawmakers say they are, too. “Why do these prices fluctuate and gyrate so much in such a short period of time?” asked Sen. John Broden. Wednesday at the Statehouse, they're holding a hearing to search for answers. “To try to get some feel as to why these gasoline prices fluctuate so wildly, just from day to day," Broden said. "I mean you can have the price move 10, 15 cents, sometimes as much as 21 cents just in a 24-hour period. And it doesn't seem related necessarily to what's happening to crude oil prices and things like that." On the hearing guest list: petroleum executives, the attorney general — who handles consumer complaints — and gasoline retailers. “They're the ones who adjust the boards every evening!" Broden said. Drivers say they'll be listening, too, hoping to finally hear some answers. “I would like to have some [answers]," Insco said. WSBT News will be there for the hearing in Indianapolis Wednesday morning. The hearing is also open to the public. Most PopularMore Good Stuff |
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