Minnesota cheap gas prices

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend and as the cost of gasoline continues to climb, Minnesota is cracking down on service stations where gas prices are too low.

A law the state adopted in 2001 in an effort to protect small service-station businesses prohibits gas stations from selling gas without taking a minimum profit. These days, they must charge at least 8 cents per gallon, plus taxes, more than they paid for it.

Carol Hockert, director of the department's weights and measures division, said she receives complaints from competitors convinced others are undercharging.

Often they're wrong, but if a station continually sells gasoline for less than what the department knows the wholesaler sold it for, she investigates.

"It doesn't feel good," said Jeremy Haack, store leader at the Apple Valley Kwik Trip. "We try to give a little break to the consumers, and we're the ones getting fined for it?"

Copyright Copley Press Inc. 2004
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