For Immediate Release 
Sept. 22, 2026 

FROM THE OFFICE OF: Councilmember Maritza Rivera 

CONTACT: Wendy Sykes, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Rivera 
206-491-8125 or wendy.sykes@seattle.gov  

SEATTLE – Today Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) released the following statement after the after the amended Fair Pricing legislation (Council Bill 121267) was passed by the City Council 7-2. The legislation bans algorithmic pricing on groceries but goes so far as to potentially limit popular loyalty discounts. 

“I support a ban on algorithmic pricing; grocery stores should not charge people more based on their personal information. However, this legislation leads to the possibility of going much further by making groceries more expensive at a time when Seattle residents are struggling with sky-high inflation, especially low-income families. 

“I would have liked to have seen legislation that banned algorithmic pricing while ensuring loyalty programs wouldn’t be impacted. It’s now very possible those programs will go away, and groceries could become even more expensive.  

“I have heard from consumers in my district and across the City who don’t want this and think that Council is meddling in a way that could hurt rather than help them. This is an overly broad ordinance that has the potential to backfire. This is why I cannot and do not support it.  

“Ultimately, I believe this is an issue that should be dealt with at the state level, so that one city – in this case Seattle – doesn’t potentially lose grocery stores to jurisdictions just beyond our city borders.  

“We need to stop taking actions that unintentionally result in higher prices for Seattle residents.” 

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