Daniel Petty

Consumers already jarred by high food, gasoline and heating oil prices in many states now face another financial burden: skyrocketing electricity bills.
WASHINGTON — Around the country, electric utilities’ requests for rate increases have spiked in recent weeks, stemming from high-priced fuels such as coal and natural gas that are used to generate power. Those fuel price hikes — blamed on an increase in worldwide energy demand — are being passed on to ratepayers.

In West Virginia, the state’s largest natural gas utility is asking for a 42 percent rate increase. In Virginia, millions of Dominion Virginia Power customers are seeing their bills rise an average of 18 percent, the largest one-time rate hike there in three decades. And Ohio’s largest electric utility is seeking a 15 percent rate increase annually for the next three years because of high coal prices and a new state environmental law governing emissions that will cost the company money, a spokesman says.

“There’s no question that rising fuel prices have been driving utility bills higher,” said Tyson Slocum, director of the energy program at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

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WASHINGTON — In the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline, a growing number of states are offering their employees four-day workweeks to help relieve commuting costs and save on state energy bills.

In the boldest step so far, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) announced June 26 that he is imposing a four-day workweek on about 17,000 state employees starting the first week of August and continuing for at least a year. Employees will work 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and about 1,000 of the 3,000 state buildings will be closed on Fridays. Essential services, such as highway patrols, courts, public schools and colleges, will not be affected by the changes, which are expected to save the state $3 million, said Lisa Roskelley, the governor’s spokeswoman.

While Utah is the first to make four-day workweeks mandatory, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) announced two weeks ago that her office was considering work-schedule alternatives to help commuters save fuel. And New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has ordered each state agency to adopt a policy for telecommuting and alternate work schedules by Sept. 1.

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WASHINGTON — Alabama state Rep. Ken Guin’s (D) nutrition bill was dead from the start.

So dead, in fact, that he won the Legislature’s “shroud” award, a gag honor that for three decades has marked the end of the session for lawmakers in Montgomery.

Alabama and many other states conclude their sessions with traditions that are funny, bizarre and even poignant. With half of state legislatures concluding in the past two months, and several more to adjourn within a few weeks, the celebrations are in full swing.

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WASHINGTON — When 10-year-old Kameron Schuler saw that a Hannah Montana show was coming to Baltimore, she begged for a special birthday present — tickets to the concert for her and a friend.

But 10 minutes after tickets went on sale on Ticketmaster.com, they already had been swept up and posted on ticket resale Web sites for considerably higher prices. So Kameron’s father ended up shelling out triple the original price for a pair of upper-level seats — paying $150 each.

Failed efforts to get face-value tickets for hot concerts and sporting events, like the World Series, are not uncommon — especially among the less technologically savvy who are more familiar with staking out a spot in front of a box office.

But the consumer outcry over online hijacking of huge blocks of these tickets for resale on Web sites, such as Stubhub.com for as much as 20 times face value, has led some states to pursue legislation and lawsuits targeting people who use special software to sidestep ticket sellers’ online security measures.

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WASHINGTON — As fuel prices across the country pass $4 a gallon, many states are offering motorists at the start of the summer driving season suggestions and some solutions for relief.

Plans pursued by states range from widely discussed proposals to suspend gas taxes to exploring flex-time hours for state employees and allowing campers to store their recreational vehicles longer at state parks. Some motorists, as well, are cutting back their driving or taking advantage of vacation destinations closer to home.

One of the most generous proposals is from Alaska, where the high price of oil sold there is funneling money into its budget, at the same time it became the first state to see the average price of regular gas hit $4 a gallon. The national average is $3.80 a gallon as of May 20, according to AAA.

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