LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With gas prices at a new record in Nevada and across the nation this week, Attorney General Aaron Ford released a statement vowing to take action against any suppliers caught setting unfair or deceptive prices at the pump.
Ford pledged he and his office would "use every tool at our disposal" to "fully investigate any suspected instances of price gouging at the pump."
Those tools include an anti-price gouging law passed during the last legislative session, which Ford said is the state's first law against such practices. The legislation expanded the definition and penalties for deceptive trade practices during a state of emergency.
"While most retailers are increasing prices due to disruptions in the supply chain, I will not allow any bad actors to artificially inflate prices of basic needs to rip off Nevadans trying to drive to work or to be with loved ones," Ford wrote in a prepared statement.
Also on Tuesday, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV01) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging the agency to take similar action at the federal level.
This comes after gas prices at reached a new record high nationally. Prices in Nevada are the highest they've ever been at $4.28 a gallon, according to AAA.
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The spike in prices is part of a larger market response to oil sanctions the U.S. and other countries imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine.
