To the editor:

Over the last two years, Minnesotan businesses experienced a litany of hardships stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns. Now, as life starts to get back to normal, some lawmakers in St. Paul appear set on increasing burdens on small business owners across the state and injecting further uncertainty into their operations with a series of antitrust bills, which recently had a hearing in the Legislature.

These antitrust bills pose a threat to Minnesota businesses of any size by introducing overly broad language that puts litigators in the driver seat and gives unnecessary power to the Minnesota attorney general. Compliance and enforcement of these proposed bills would be challenging, especially for small business owners, who have already been unduly burdened by a difficult two years.

Here at the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce, we serve as the largest professional business membership organization in Lyon County, and we ask that the needs of the business community be properly considered. Now more than ever, Minnesota businesses need to be uplifted and supported, not further regulated.

Additionally, we know the importance of robust competition and the advances in innovation that occur in free markets. We also know that no other state has adopted measures this extreme, justifying the necessity of intense reflection and discussion.

We sincerely hope that our business community is properly heard and represented in St. Paul with regards to the drastic measures these bills call for.

Brad Gruhot,

Marshall

— Brad Gruhot is President of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce