Statement

California Assembly Passes Historic Antitrust Reform, Deals Blow to Monopoly Abuse Driving Up Prices

05. 28. 2026

Statement from Loyal Terry, Legislative Advocate for Economic Security California Action, on Assembly Passage of the COMPETE Act (AB 1776)

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Assembly approved the COMPETE Act (AB 1776), authored by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. The legislation updates California’s 119-year-old antitrust statute to close the loopholes that have allowed dominant corporations to rig the market against small businesses, workers, and families, and gives California real tools to hold them accountable.

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

“Today, California’s Assembly stood with families, workers, and small businesses — and against the corporate lobby that has spent this entire legislative session trying to kill this bill. California’s antitrust law was written in 1907. Today, for the first time in over a century, the Assembly voted to update it. 

The California Chamber of Commerce has made the COMPETE Act their number one priority to defeat. Let that sink in for a moment: an organization that is supposed to be fighting for small businesses in California decided that its most important job this year was to protect the biggest corporations’ ability to keep rigging the game against everyone else. They have spread unwarranted fear about what this bill will do and they will only fight harder as this bill heads to the Senate. But here’s what the COMPETE Act actually does: it makes the rules fairer. It tells dominant corporations they can’t abuse their market power to crush small competitors, suppress wages, and drive up prices for everyday Californians. That’s good for every business that hasn’t amassed enough power to rig the game in their own favor. That’s good for the mom and pop bakery and the retailers that make our Main Streets thrive. 

It’s also what Californians are demanding of their leaders right now. They are looking for bold policies that will stop monopoly abuse, concentrated corporate power, and price gouging that is hurting them at check-out.

The COMPETE Act now moves to the Senate, making it one step closer to the governor’s desk, and one step closer to giving California families and small businesses a fighting chance against unchecked monopoly power. We thank Assembly Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry for her extraordinary leadership, our incredible coalition partners, and every Assembly member who voted to put California families ahead of corporate lobbyists today.”

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