AFP-Iowa Statement on DOJ Focus on Anticompetitive Regulations, ROFR
DES MOINES, IA — Last week, the Trump Department of Justice announced the creation of an Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force to advocate for eliminating anticompetitive state and federal laws and regulations. This move follows the Trump administration’s mission to reduce burdensome laws and regulations that stifle competition and negatively impact American taxpayers.
The task force will analyze regulations and policies that make it more difficult for businesses to compete effectively, including regulations that reduce the reliability and affordability of energy for consumers across the country.
Anti-competitive right of first refusal (ROFR) legislation is currently before the Iowa legislature, threatening to raise costs for Iowa families.
Last week, the DOJ issued a letter expressing concerns about legislation containing ROFR, saying the policy “would establish a no-bid process in Iowa for incumbent electrical transmission owners to construct new power grid infrastructure.” In the letter, the DOJ states that the bill would stifle competition and raise prices for Iowa taxpayers, saying, “competition is a core organizing principle” in energy markets and ROFR could have a negative impact on consumers. The letter continues, saying, “This pivotal moment for American energy infrastructure reinforces the importance of promoting competition in the development of robust domestic energy infrastructure while creating affordable prices for consumers.” Additionally, the DOJ has filed briefs in actions challenging the constitutionality of state ROFR laws.
The letter was penned by Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month.
AFP-Iowa State Director Tyler Raygor issued the following statement:
“We appreciate the DOJ’s leadership on reducing burdens facing Iowa taxpayers, families, and businesses. The DOJ is right; ROFR provides a lack of competition in the energy market and has the potential to cause substantial harm. Lawmakers should follow the lead of the Trump administration to prioritize legislation that gets the government out of the way of the free market.”
“As the legislature contemplates these ROFR bills, AFP-Iowa urges lawmakers to reject these anti-competitive policies and focus on policymaking that will focus on bringing energy costs down for hardworking Iowans.”
