� PROPOSED ‘ ANTI-GOUGING ’ LAW IN SPOTLIGHT AGAIN
Connecticut Senate Democrats announced legislation aimed at reducing the cost of essential goods for working families .
Leaders of the Senate ’ s Democratic majority outlined the bill during a press conference on Jan . 21 , one day after President Donald Trump ’ s inauguration . Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said the proposal , aimed at making life more affordable for Connecticut families , was meant to underscore the working class priorities of the caucus .
“ Yesterday , we saw an inauguration of a president that was of the billionaires , by the billionaires , and for billionaires ,” Duff said . “ Here in the state of Connecticut , we ’ re going to make sure that we continue to focus ‘ of the people , by the people , and for the people ,’ which is why we have these bills today and we will continue to roll out legislation that impacts working families and working people for the positive all across the state of Connecticut .”
The bill aims to reduce costs by enhancing the state ’ s ability to fight instances of price gouging — inflated prices that are passed down to consumers .
Although Connecticut currently has laws to prevent price gouging , Senate leaders said these policies had two critical limitations : they can only be enforced against retailers , and they only apply during major disasters or when an emergency has been declared . In other words , they said , “ price gouging is essentially permitted in all but the most dire circumstances .”
The bill , titled Senate Bill 3 , seeks to target price gouging that drives up costs behind the scenes as manufacturers , distributors , wholesalers and suppliers artificially inflate prices to pad their bottom lines , legislative leaders said .
Senate President Martin Looney said the idea was to prevent price gouging that occurs before retailers receive a product . Retailers , Looney said , “ are in some cases , not the source of the price
gouging , but are merely passing along something that has been imposed on them within the supply chain of their suppliers .”
Sen . James Maroney , co-chair of the legislature ’ s General Law Committee , said the bill would also increase the ability of the attorney general to investigate price gouging
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