Maine Voters Once Again Show ‘Right To Repair’ Reforms Are Overwhelmingly Popular

Maine residents have made it very clear: the overwhelming majority of Americans want to be able to easily and affordably repair the stuff they own. 83 percent of Maine voters last week responded yes to Question 4," asking whether automakers should be required to provide car owners (and independent repair shops) access to on-board diagnostic systems:

Do you want to require vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board diagnostic systems and provide remote access to those systems and mechanical data to owners and independent repair facilities?"

The new law sets up a system of procedures to facilitate access to those systems, including the creation of a new portal that car owners and independent mechanics can use to reset car security systems. Automakers must also create a motor vehicle telematics system notice" system informing new car owners how access to these systems will work.

Maine is the fourth state behind Colorado, New York, and Minnesota to pass right to repair protections in the last year, much to the chagrin of the auto industry. While lobbyists did manage to weaken many of the laws (particularly in New York), several of the new laws (notably Minnesota) offer significant improvements to state law, making it cheaper and easier to repair consumer technology.

Carmakers spent upwards of $30 million dollars to try and scuttle a similar proposal in Massachusetts, using a long list of misleading arguments (like the claim the reforms would be a boon to sexual predators) to try and undermine the proposal. While that law remains stuck in limbo due to an industry lawsuit, lobbyists have generally been unable to stem the tide of public support.

Tommy Hickey, director of the Maine Automotive Right to Repair Coalition, told 404 Media that automakers didn't try as hard in Maine after their defeat at the ballot box in Massachusetts:

Maine residents have won the right to control their destiny when it comes to car repairs. There's a new technology in cars, they've become computers on wheels, and with this law owners in Maine will be the gatekeepers of that information."

Corporations have gotten the message from voters, so they've tried other tactics to try and undermine the laws, including getting legislatures to carve out the most problematic industries (like medical hardware, agricultural gear, or even game consoles).

Companies like John Deere are also striking non-binding, meaningless agreements with trade groups promising them they'll behave on right to repair if said trade groups don't support state or federal legislation. Those efforts clearly aren't having the intended effect.

While U.S. consumer protection is generally a feckless mess, right to repair reform has been a notable exception. Companies like Microsoft and Apple have realized this is a fight on the state level that they probably can't win, and have been adjusting their opposition accordingly.

I suspect many of those companies, including Apple and Microsoft, have pivoted away from fighting state level right to repair laws, and toward using their political influence to co-write a weaker federal law that pre-empts tougher state restrictions.