A major expansion of California antitrust policy will likely move closer to becoming law on Tuesday as the legislation faces its first committee hearing in the state Capitol.
The bill (AB 1776) would extend California’s Cartwright Act, which targets anticompetitive behavior by two or more companies, to also cover restraints of trade by individual companies.
Labor unions and consumer advocates backing the measure contend it will give the state new powers to crack down on monopolistic behavior they blame for stifling competition in many sectors and driving up prices. Major business groups have aligned against the bill, arguing ...