The Maine House of Representatives voted 96-44 Tuesday morning to override Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) veto of an automotive right to repair bill approved by lawmakers last year.
This represents a slightly slimmer margin of support for the measure than was originally expressed by lawmakers when the bill was passed 135-12 last year.
Designed to implement recommendations from the Automotive Right to Repair Working Group, the vetoed LD 1228 aimed to clarify and improve the effectiveness of a law approved by voters at the ballot box in 2023.
Under the citizens’ initiative, vehicle manufacturers were required to standardize onboard diagnostic systems, as well as allow both owners and non-dealership repair facilities remote access to these systems and mechanical data.
In her veto letter articulating the reasoning behind her rejection of the bill, Gov. Mills drew attention to the inclusion of what she characterized as a “controversial provision” allowing vehicle manufacturers a greater degree of control over how they would make telemetric data available to unauthorized repairers.
Mills expressly notes her support of the working group’s recommendations but that this measure was not originally among them, instead being added later “at the urging of automobile manufacturers.”
[RELATED: Mainers Resoundingly Support Automotive “Right to Repair” in Tuesday’s Election]
Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R-Fairfield) urged her fellow lawmakers ahead of the vote Tuesday morning to resist allowing Mills’ veto simply because they may not understand the more technologically complicated aspects of the legislation.
“This bill is being opposed because a lot of people just don’t understand it,” said Rep. Rudnicki. “Not because its bad policy, not because it hurts consumers, but because it deals with technology that some folks are not comfortable with.”
Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick), who is also running for the Congress, was the original sponsor of this legislation and criticized Mills’ veto for not identifying any specific legal concerns in her veto letter.
“Instead, the veto relies on predictions, characterizations, and generalized fears about what the bill might do, without tethering those claims to the text of the bill itself,” said Rep. Roberts.
Next week, the possibility of overriding the governor’s veto is expected to be placed before the Senate, where at least a two-thirds majority will also be required for the effort to succeed.
According to reporting from the Portland Press Herald, none of the 55 vetoes that Mills has issued since taking office have been overridden by lawmakers.
