In November 2016, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry was elected to the California Assembly to represent the 4th District, which includes all of Napa, Lake, Yolo, Colusa Counties and part of Sonoma County. Photo courtesy of Assembly Majority Leader, District 4 Cecilia Aguiar-Curry 

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D–Winters) was joined today by small business owners, consumer advocates, workers and labor leaders, and economic justice organizations to support Assembly Bill 1776 (AB 1776)—the Competition and Opportunity in Markets for a Prosperous, Equitable and Transparent Economy (COMPETE) Act— at a rally ahead of the California Senate Appropriations Committee suspense hearing. If the committee passes the bill off suspense, it will head to the senate floor for a vote, bringing California one step closer to joining the overwhelming majority of states with stronger protections against monopoly abuse while keeping markets open, competitive and innovative.

"Today reflects what this bill has always been about—protecting Californians and our small businesses from the few corporations who have decided to shut down their competitors instead of making better products and providing better services,” said Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D–Winters), the bill's author. "You heard today that when a handful of dominant corporations control entire industries and abuse their power, small businesses struggle to compete and communities lose the employers they depend on, public safety suffers, consumers pay more for less and workers have fewer job opportunities while getting paid less. I urge my senate colleagues to pass AB 1776."

Across California, families are paying more for groceries, healthcare, housing, insurance, and other essentials while wages struggle to keep pace. Supporters representing working families, consumers, labor, and small businesses said growing corporate consolidation is a major driver of the state’s affordability crisis, leaving too few companies in control of too many industries. Reduced competition has enabled dominant corporations to raise prices, suppress wages, limit consumer choice, and make it harder for entrepreneurs and independent businesses to compete. They pointed to impacts across the economy—from grocery workers to tradespeople priced out of the communities they serve—as evidence that concentrated markets are making life less affordable for Californians.

Supporters said AB 1776 would modernize California’s antitrust laws by closing a century-old loophole that allows a dominant corporation to escape liability for anticompetitive conduct when multiple companies could otherwise be held accountable for the same behavior. California is one of only five states without this core antitrust protection, leaving it without an enforcement tool available under federal law and in 45 other states. The bill reflects the unanimous recommendations of the California Law Revision Commission following more than three years of independent study and public input from legal and antitrust experts, economists, and other stakeholders.

Supporters also emphasized that AB 1776 was substantially refined through the legislative process. It targets only unlawful conduct by dominant firms, exempts small businesses, and preserves legitimate competitive practices such as discounts and price matching. They argued the bill would strengthen competition, lower prices, raise wages, expand opportunities for workers and entrepreneurs, and give California stronger tools to hold bad actors accountable.

“Our bill rewards competition, celebrates success, and protects ethical businesses,” added Aguiar-Curry. “Our opponents, beholden to the most powerful corporations, are protecting those who would prefer not to compete. I am disappointed that California’s business associations would protect the one percent at the expense of the 99 percent of their members who just want a shot at participating in a fair marketplace.”

Coalition partners participating in today's rally issued the following statements:

"There is no more important bill this year that would protect consumers and small businesses than the COMPETE Act,” said Executive Director, Consumer Federation of California, Robert Herrell. "Making sure that mega-businesses are accountable and don't prey upon small businesses and consumers is at the heart of AB 1776. The California Senate must pass the COMPETE Act to ensure that monopolies don't manipulate and skew markets. That is a concept with overwhelming bipartisan support."

“California’s antitrust laws need to catch up with today’s economy. The COMPETE Act would give small businesses, their workers, and local communities a stronger tool to push back against monopolies and protect fair competition. “We’re encouraged by the growing support for AB 1776 and hope it continues to advance through the senate,” said David Chase, chief policy and outreach officer, Small Business Majority.

"Big Tech corporations have rigged the system and used their concentrated power in the economy to lower wages and charge us higher prices. Working people in California deserve to have elected officials who will fight for them as both workers and consumers," said Lorena Gonzalez, president, California Federation of Labor Unions, representing 1,300 unions and 2.3 million union members.

“AB 1776 is the California Legislature’s chance to finally prove to working people across our state that holding greedy corporations accountable is a priority, not just a line in a campaign stump speech. We can, and will, demand that workers across industries are protected from companies using a century-old law to rig the system for profit gains. Teamsters California will not stand by as Big Tech and greedy corporations’ lobbyists attempt to outspend and outnumber working people in Sacramento,” said Peter Finn and Victor Mineros, co-chairs, Teamsters California.  

"Years of consolidation and shrinking competition in the grocery industry have tilted the playing field against workers, allowing employers to hold down wages, weaken collective bargaining rights, and make it harder for workers to organize. And the stories shared at today's rally illustrate those lived realities," said Mark Ramos, president, UFCW Western States Council and UFCW Local 1428. AB 1776 is a critical step toward restoring balance. By strengthening protections for workers, promoting fair competition, and creating opportunities for small businesses to thrive, this legislation will help lower costs for consumers and drive innovation throughout California’s economy. UFCW is proud to continue its support for AB 1776."

“Like our hard-working homecare and childcare members, many Californians earn an honest paycheck, yet still struggle to make ends meet,” said Doug Moore, executive director, United Domestic Workers. “Healthy competition benefits both workers and consumers because employers compete to offer better wages and lower prices. But as corporations consolidate and a handful of companies come to dominate entire industries, they gain the power to drive-up prices on groceries, clothes, and other necessities—while keeping wages low. At a time when families are already struggling with rising costs in President Trump’s economy, AB 1776 would help restore healthy competition and put more money in our members’ pockets.”

"The COMPETE Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for California to align itself with the country and 90 percent of states to treat illegal monopolies as truly illegal. It's time to start to reverse the trend of record corporate concentration and skyrocketing inequality. It’s not just ironic that a law confronting corporate power is so hard to pass because of the influence these behemoths wield over our state: that’s how oligarchy works. And that's why we’re fighting for the COMPETE Act," said Lee Hepner, antitrust lawyer and senior legal counsel, American Economic Liberties Project.

"Today's rally shows that California small businesses, workers, and entrepreneurs are trying to compete in a modern economy. AB 1776 simply ensures that our laws keep pace with how markets actually work today, including the digital platforms and technologies that every business now depends on to reach customers and grow. California has always been the home of innovation, and this bill protects that legacy by making sure the next great idea gets a fair shot. We thank Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry for her leadership and look forward to senate appropriations moving this bill forward," said Samantha Gordon, chief advocacy officer, TechEquity.

“We’re here to show the corporate lobby that the fear and lies they are spreading about the COMPETE Act will not stand. Lawmakers are going to see past their misinformation campaign, because they know that monopoly abuse is driving the affordability crisis that is affecting everyone in our state,” said Loyal Terry, legislative advocate, Economic Security California Action. “The COMPETE Act simply tells the most dominant corporations they can't abuse their market power to crush smaller competitors, suppress wages and drive-up prices. The case for this bill only gets stronger every time it’s told.”