Sen. Jim Isgar on Wednesday stirred up an angry flock of bargain lovers who don't want to lose their $5 turkeys, cheap gas and day-old doughnuts.

Isgar got an amended bill passed in the Senate that in effect would make it illegal for merchants to sell anything below cost in counties with less than 200,000 population.

Isgar, a Western Slope Democrat, says he was only trying to exempt rural counties from a bill allowing retailers to give price breaks on gas and generic drugs so it wouldn't drive small businesses out. But, according to the state attorney general, it would end discounts in smaller counties entirely.

"Your $5 Safeway turkeys are gone," fumed Rep. Cheri Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge, who sponsored House Bill 1208 to modernize the state's Unfair Practices Act to allow retailers to offer promotional deals.

But now the legislation could drive up prices across the state, Attorney General John Suthers said in a statement.

Isgar vowed to work with Jahn and other co-sponsors in conference committee to undo any damage he caused.