​When our democracy is working its best, the actions of our elected officials reflect the will of the people. That is why it’s so puzzling that state Rep. Tiffany Roberts continues to undermine Maine’s newly enacted Right to Repair law (“Victory for Maine’s Right to Repair law is premature,” Jan. 13).

Earlier this month, Mainers finally got the right to choose where they repair their vehicles. Thanks to an overwhelming 84% referendum victory in 2023, Automotive Right to Repair is now the law in Maine, and that’s something to be celebrated.

Cybersecurity concerns have time and again been deemed by the Federal Trade Commission as untrue, as a fearmongering tactic used by manufacturers to defeat right to repair legislation.

Rep. Roberts and others claim the law can’t be enforced because the platform specified in the law doesn’t exist. What that ignores, of course, is that the law obligates the manufacturers to implement the platform — work they refuse to undertake so that they continue to bolster their profits and maintain a monopoly of your information.

Big Auto has had years to allow car owners the ability to access their own data from their own vehicles. In fact, countless vehicle engineers have even shown existing technologies that can be used to comply with the law and still they refuse.

Instead of siding with Maine consumers and local businesses and demanding Big Auto adhere to the law, opponents make excuses for the lack of compliance.

Opponents have continuously said this law has not been promoted by the independent repair community, yet Tim Winkeler, the CEO of VIP Auto, is the main sponsor and signatory of the ballot question. Further, Maine independent repair shops not only have come to testify in favor of the law, they disseminated handouts and had pro-Right to Repair signs in their shops promoting the ballot initiative throughout the campaign.

During the last legislative session, legislators even pushed a bill that would have gutted the law that garnered one of the highest percentages of victory in Maine referendum history — a bill that Maine independent repair shops and the aftermarket strongly and passionately opposed.

The Maine aftermarket needs this. Consumers chose this.

The fact is that the average car on the road is 12.5 years old, but as independent repair shops are increasingly seeing newer cars with new technologies these cars are more and more difficult, if not impossible, to repair.

And so the people have spoken. Mainers want direct access to all their repair information so they can get their car fixed where they want.

Mainers understand that it is in their best interest that vehicle owners have a choice about who repairs their vehicle and not be hamstrung by car manufacturers that have a monetary interest in keeping that information from them to steer them to their authorized repair shops.

We have testified on the merits of the initiative throughout this process and will always stand ready to educate and defend what 84% of Mainers voted for and the local repair shops fought so tirelessly for.

We thank the Maine attorney general’s office for putting together a working group to help implement and enforce the law and we are proud that Mainers stepped up to vote for this. It’s clear Mainers want it, and we will protect it.