Washington, D.C. — Alongside efforts from legislators in 12 states across the country to ban junk fees, as tracked on Economic Liberties’ EndJunkFees.com campaign, the American Economic Liberties Project released bombshell polling data, conducted by Lake Research Partners, revealing broad bipartisan support for state legislation to bank junk fees — those hidden fees that cost Americans billions in total each year.

“It’s clear Americans across the country agree that policymakers at the state and federal level should ban mandatory, deceptive junk fees,” said Pat Garofalo, Director of State and Local Policy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Working families are tired of getting ripped off by hidden fees that nickel and dime them out of thousands of dollars each year and are hungry for policymakers to do something about it. We’re thrilled to see that already, 12 states across the country are working on junk fee legislation to build durable change in their communities. For lawmakers looking to ban junk fees in their home states, you should know that the public is on your side.”

“Support for banning deceptively hidden junk fees starts out at stratospheric levels and only grows as voters hear more—from both sides,” said Celinda Lake, Partner at Lake Research Partners. “Majorities of every subgroup in the data recognize the need for change when it comes to this practice. It is the rare issue that unites Americans across partisan lines. The issue could also serve as a turnout mechanism for local elections, with more than three-quarters of voters saying they would be more likely to turn out to vote if their elected official would soon vote on legislation to ban junk fee.”

The full findings of the poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners, can be found here. Some highlights include:

• A considerable 83% of voters say they would be more likely to vote for their legislator if they voted for junk fee legislation with about half saying they would be much more likely.
• Banning junk fees will also serve as a major turnout mechanism for local elections – 78% of voters say they would be more likely to turn out to vote in their local legislative election if their elected official would soon vote on junk fee legislation, with 46% saying they would be much more likely to turn out.
• Over three-quarters (79%) of voters nationwide support state legislation that would make it illegal for businesses to charge junk fees, the deceptively hidden fees tacked onto the end of transactions for goods and services.
• Not only is support for legislation banning junk fees remarkably broad, crossing every demographic, regional, and attitudinal divide in the data, but this is also a rare issue that unites Americans across partisan lines, attracting upwards of three-quarters of Democrats (80%), independents (80%), and Republicans (78%)
• In addition, support for this legislation is incredibly intense, with more than two-thirds (68%) of voters reporting they would support it strongly.

Read the full poll here.

Learn more about Economic Liberties EndJunkFees campaign here.

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.