California’s Antitrust Overhaul Clears Key Hurdle as COMPETE Act Moves Forward

05. 14. 2026

Statement from Loyal Terry of Economic Security California Action on AB 1776 Advancing Out of the Assembly Appropriations Suspense File

SACRAMENTO – Today, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations advanced the COMPETE Act (AB 1776), authored by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. The legislation would update California’s 119-year-old antitrust statute to curb the abuse of monopoly power by Big Tech and dominant corporations that have driven up what Californians pay for groceries, healthcare, housing, and everyday essentials. 

Loyal Terry, Legislative Advocate for Economic Security California Action, issued the following statement:

“California’s antitrust law was written in 1907, and was designed to hold railroad barons and steel monopolies accountable for how they rigged the economy in their favor. More than a century later, that statute hasn’t been meaningfully updated, even as a handful of corporations have amassed enough power to set the terms of our economy. The COMPETE Act would change that by closing the loopholes that let dominant firms abuse their market power and gives California real tools to hold them accountable.  This bill is neither complex nor radical, but a commonsense solution to lower the cost of living for California families. 

The stakes here couldn’t be more clear: we’re in an affordability crisis in California. Monopoly abuse is one of the biggest reasons life keeps getting more expensive. When monopolists squeeze more profits from consumers, suppress wages for workers, and stifle the small businesses and entrepreneurs trying to compete, we all pay the price. Today’s vote moves California one step closer to rules that match our modern economy. We thank Assembly Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry and our fantastic coalition partners for their continued leadership.”