A study being released today shows how much the minimum markup law is costing you at the gas pump.

$.08/gallon, and it adds up to $278,000,000 a year for all the people who pay for gas in Wisconsin.

That's what the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute says is the added cost of gas you're shelling out because of the 1939 Unfair Sales Act. It's designed to stop retailers from pricing gas too low for small business to compete.

Normally, gas stations would mark up the price $.22 higher than the wholesale gas price. Instead, the law forces retailers to up the price by a percentage (9.18%) of the wholesale cost.

But wholesale gas is now so high, $3.29/gallon, that it's $.08 higher than what stations would normally add.

More:
• Wisconsin Policy Research Institute
• Journal Sentinel