March 03, 2005

The state of California and private class action plaintiffs have reached an $80 million antitrust settlement with vitamin manufacturers to resolve charges of price-fixing, and as part of the deal (PDF) the court will grant nearly half a million dollars to the American Antitrust Institute "to educate California consumers and businesses about the benefits of the antitrust laws, including the production of a half-hour documentary video for a television audience and educational materials for high school classrooms." There's currently a hue and cry over revelations that Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger's administration used taxpayer funds to prepare materials promoting its view of reforming wage-and-hour laws; one presumes the same critics deplore the idea of using publicly driven funds to sway public views in favor of more expansive antitrust enforcement. More: David Giacalone doesn't agree.