In New York, dominant corporations are amassing unprecedented economic and political power and putting small businesses at risk. Katy Milani, ILSR Senior Policy Advocate, and Sue Warfield, President of American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, write in Crain’s New York Business that the proposed 21st Century Antitrust Act would level the playing field for small businesses.
“If enacted, the 21st Century Antitrust Act would modernize and reform New York’s antitrust laws and create a pathway for clear rules of [the] road about what conduct is and isn’t illegal. It would ensure that small businesses have an opportunity to be heard in court by enabling businesses to band together in class-action lawsuits against monopolists for their abusive conduct.”
Milani and Warfield write that this legislation would continue to spur the growing momentum of antitrust efforts across the country. With a marked decline over decades in the number of independent businesses across the country, we must remember how critical these local shops and companies are for our economies and communities. “They create jobs, keep wealth and opportunity in the local economy, and help shape dynamic business districts. This legislation would help rebalance the playing field and give New York’s entrepreneurs a chance to compete.”
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