DoomsdaysCW<p>What is '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RightToRepair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RightToRepair</span></a>,' and why are <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineVoters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MaineVoters</span></a> being asked to weigh in on it?</p><p>Maine Public | By Steve Mistler<br>Published September 21, 2023 </p><p>"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Question4" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Question4</span></a> asks <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Maine</span></a> voters: '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?'</p><p>"Maine would become the second state in the nation to require automakers to make onboard repair and diagnostic information available to independent mechanics if voters approve Question 4 in November.</p><p>"The concept is relatively straightforward and the legislation closely mirrors a law in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Massachusetts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Massachusetts</span></a> that 75% of voters approved in 2020. However, implementation of the Bay State law is mired in a legal battle pitting <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AutoManufacturers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AutoManufacturers</span></a> against <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/consumers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>consumers</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RepairShops" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RepairShops</span></a>. Meanwhile, the federal government is sending mixed signals about whether it’s safe to share a car’s telematics data, which increasingly includes information about people’s driving behavior in addition to vehicle repair diagnostics.</p><p>"The Maine initiative is part of a burgeoning right-to-repair movement in the U.S. that hinges on the idea that consumers should have the ability to fix the products that they purchase, or at least have a choice in who does the repair for them.</p><p>"At least 25 states have considered right-to-repair legislation in recent years, but the proposals are not always specific to cars. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Colorado" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Colorado</span></a> enacted a law this year centering on the repair of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FarmingEquipment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FarmingEquipment</span></a>. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NewYork" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NewYork</span></a> recently enacted a right-to-repair law for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/electronic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>electronic</span></a> devices such as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/smartphones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>smartphones</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/tablets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>tablets</span></a> or <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/laptop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>laptop</span></a> computers. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Minnesota" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Minnesota</span></a> passed a law similar to New York’s, and Maine may do the same next year if lawmakers enact an <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>electronics</span></a> proposal introduced in April."</p><p>Full article:<br><a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2023-09-21/what-is-right-to-repair-and-why-are-maine-voters-being-asked-to-weigh-in-on-it" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">mainepublic.org/politics/2023-</span><span class="invisible">09-21/what-is-right-to-repair-and-why-are-maine-voters-being-asked-to-weigh-in-on-it</span></a> <br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DIY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DIY</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SolarPunk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SolarPunk</span></a></p>