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Fixing your own gadgets might just be a heartfelt DIY project to some, but it's becoming a political battle cry. A growing movement across the nation, including in red states like Ohio and states in the South, is pushing for the right to repair electronic devices without relying on manufacturers' controlled repair networks.
Take Louis Blessing, a Republican state senator from Ohio, for example. He got burned when his wife's laptop battery needed replacing. Despite being an electrical engineer, he realized her laptop wouldn't charge because it had rejected the third-party battery he installed. This is known as parts pairing - when manufacturers use software to control how and with whose parts their devices are fixed. Blessing calls it a "garbage business practice" that's both legal and borders on trashy.
To combat this, Blessing introduced the Digital Fair Repair Act, a bill that guarantees consumers the legal right to access the parts, tools, and documents they need for independent repair of numerous devices. It also bans restrictive practices, like parts pairing. If passed, Ohio could become the latest in a string of states, including Colorado, Oregon, California, Minnesota, and New York, to enshrine this right into law.
It's a big deal. Most of the states that have passed repair laws so far are Democratic strongholds, but the adoption of repair rights in deep red Ohio, where Republicans control the state House, Senate, and the governor's office, underscores the broad, bipartisan popularity of the issue.
"If something breaks that you can't fix, that's a pain, whether you live in New York or Nebraska," Nathan Proctor, who heads the right-to-repair campaign at the U.S. Public Research Interest Group, explained. Expanding access to repair can have significant environmental benefits, too, such as reducing carbon emissions and pollutants associated with the manufacturing process.
Blessing sees it differently. He's more concerned about big businesses monopolizing the electronics repair space, restricting market competition and, by extension, our freedom to do what we want with our property.
Brian Seitz, a Republican state congressman from Missouri, thinks similarly. He's advocating for a motorcycle right-to-repair bill, since motorcyclists have been unable to fix their bikes due to a lack of access to necessary diagnostic codes. Seitz's recent bill hasn't passed yet, but he expects it will this year.
Texas, not to be outdone, has also jumped into the fray. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, published a white paper arguing for a comprehensive right-to-repair law to preserve property rights. Lawmakers in the Lone Star State are now sponsoring an electronics right-to-repair bill in both the House and the Senate.
Washington state is also considering a right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics and household appliances. Despite being a Democratic-majority state, the bill passed the state House in March with overwhelming support. If it becomes law, it would be a significant victory for the movement.
So while political lines may be blurred when it comes to the right to repair, one thing is clear: this issue is gaining steam from coast to coast. As Blessing puts it, "It's not pro-competition" to restrict access to independent repair - it's just bad for business and the environment.
- The right to repair electronic devices is becoming a significant political issue, with a growing movement across the nation, including in red states like Ohio, pushing for this right.
- Ohio Republican state senator Louis Blessing, an electrical engineer, experienced frustration when his wife's laptop battery needed replacing, as the third-party battery he installed was rejected by the device due to parts pairing.
- Blessing introduced the Digital Fair Repair Act, a bill that guarantees consumers the legal right to access the parts, tools, and documents needed for independent repair of numerous devices, and bans restrictive practices like parts pairing.
- If passed, Ohio could join a list of states, including Democratic strongholds and red states, that have enshrined the right to repair into law.
- Nathan Proctor, who heads the right-to-repair campaign at the U.S. Public Research Interest Group, notes that expanding access to repair can have significant environmental benefits, such as reducing carbon emissions and pollutants.
- Blessing is more concerned about big businesses monopolizing the electronics repair space, restricting market competition, and limiting our freedom to do what we want with our property.
- Brian Seitz, a Republican state congressman from Missouri, is advocating for a motorcycle right-to-repair bill, as motorcyclists have been unable to fix their bikes due to a lack of access to necessary diagnostic codes.
- The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, has published a white paper arguing for a comprehensive right-to-repair law to preserve property rights, and lawmakers in Texas are now sponsoring an electronics right-to-repair bill in both the House and the Senate.
