Lawmakers override Mills’ veto of right-to-repair update

(The Center Square) — Maine lawmakers are moving quickly to override Gov Janet Mills’ objections to an auto industry-backed bill that makes changes to the state’s voter-approved right-to-repair law.

The state House of Representatives voted 96-44 on Tuesday to override Mill’s veto of “An Act to Clarify Certain Terms in and to Make Other Changes to the Automotive Right to Repair Laws,” narrowly clearing the two-thirds vote needed to override the governor’s opposition to the bill. The state Senate is expected to consider an override next week.

At issue is a ballot question approved by voters in the November 2023 elections, which allows auto owners and repair shops to access “telematics” data from vehicles. A costly ballot fight pitted the nation’s automakers against small repair shops backed by the retail parts industry. The law, approved by 84% of the voters, went into effect last year.