PLF congratulates Pennsylvania on ending its Competitor’s Veto

Last week, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission finalized a new regulation that abolishes that state’s Competitor’s Veto rule for moving companies, and adopting a new, pro-competitive rule that lets anyone who wants to start a new moving company do so, as long as they’re safe and honest.

That’s the way the rule should be. Sadly, many state and local governments instead have Competitor’s Veto laws in place that allow existing businesses to block any new company from getting a license, and that allow bureaucrats to forbid new companies from starting up if they don’t think there’s any “need” for new competition. We’ve challenged such rules in Oregon, Missouri, Montana—all three of which repealed them—as well as Kentucky, where we prevailed in our lawsuit—and Nevada, which recently passed a repeal bill, SB 183, which is now sitting on Governor Brian Sandoval’s desk. Last month, we filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania on behalf of Cosmo and MaryAnn Losco. But shortly after we filed the case, news arrived of the PUC’s new rule abolishing that state’s Competitor’s Veto.

We’re delighted that Keystone State officials have seen fit to open the road for economic opportunity. Sadly, these laws remain in place in most states and major cities. We won’t stop until they are abolished across the nation.