New Georgia AG targets retail pricing

Tanya Miller intends to focus her incoming tenure as Georgia attorney general on two specific consumer complaints: high grocery prices and rising utility bills.

As the first woman elected to the position, Miller stated that her office must act as a shield for working families dealing with steep expenses. She believes state regulators have a duty to hold corporations accountable when prices rise without clear justification.

Miller pointed to past incidents in South Georgia where prices surged after natural disasters. She also cited a recent legal battle in North Carolina where a retail chain displayed one price on shelves but charged customers a higher amount at checkout. She pledged to direct state resources toward investigating such deceptive practices.

The attorney general’s office holds statutory authority over anti-price gouging enforcement and consumer affairs. Miller plans to use that power to scrutinize recent actions by Georgia Power.

Recent rate increases from the utility have added between $16 and $21 to monthly household bills. Miller argued that frequent hikes over short periods require thorough review by the Public Service Commission. She stated that rate hikes should not exist for sheer profit or to pass corporate mismanagement losses onto everyday ratepayers.

Miller said she will not hesitate to challenge federal actions that compromise constitutional protections. She referenced past election controversies, noting that officials should not demand to find 11,780 votes or harass election workers. "I want the people to see their attorney general going to bat for them every day," she said during an interview on Good Day Atlanta.