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Letter to the Editor: Response to Schmitt joining antitrust suit against Google

To the editor —

As a small business owner, I was shocked to discover in the article “Schmitt joins federal antitrust suit against Google” on Oct. 20 that Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is suing Google. He may not be aware, but since COVID-19 hit, Google has been more important than ever. Business is down, but we rely on Google and other digital tools now more than ever for everything from affordable digital advertising to scheduling to communicating with our team. Every penny counts in this tight economy and without these tools, we might not have survived.

If politicians try to change the way these companies operate by enacting new laws and new rules, it will be devastating for Missouri small businesses. We are on the brink of yet another COVID-19 surge, and the thought of higher advertising prices or fewer free tools is adding to already unprecedented levels of small business stress. Before the attorney general does anything more, he needs to consider how his actions will impact small businesses.

— Stella Crewse, CEO of Morgan Miller Plumbing in Grandview and member of the Connected Commerce Council