Maine Senate sustains governor’s right to repair bill veto
Maine’s Senate voted 10-24 Tuesday to sustain Gov. Janet Mills’s veto of LD 1228 — a bill meant to amend the state’s new “automotive right to repair” law while also protecting consumer data privacy.
LD 1228 — “An Act to Clarify Certain Terms in the Automotive Right to Repair Laws,” moved forward out of a package of five introduced in the 2025 legislative session to amend the new law, which was passed by referendum in 2023. Under the new law, effective Jan. 5, 2025, all automakers are required to provide access to vehicle data via a standardized and owner-authorized platform.
Last week, the House of Representatives voted 96-44 to override Mills’s veto.
In her veto letter, Mills stated that she rejected the bill because she believes it harms local Maine auto repair shops and strays too far from the will of Maine voters, as expressed through the “right to repair” referendum approved in 2023.
In a press release published after the Senate’s vote, LD 1228 sponsor Rep. Tiffany Roberts wrote that the move “underscores the Need for leadership ready for today’s technology and tomorrow’s challenges.”
“LD 1228 was developed to translate voter intent into workable policy in an era where vehicles are increasingly software-driven, networked, and subject to evolving cybersecurity concerns,” the release states. “The bill sought to balance consumer access, small-business viability, and public safety, recognizing that technology has advanced faster than the laws governing it.”
Roberts added, “Today’s vote is disappointing, but it’s also revealing. It shows how challenging it can be for our political system, at every level, to keep pace with technology that’s changing how we live, work, and own property.”
According to the release, in the final hours before the vote, several senators reversed earlier positions following late outreach from outside interests.
“The shift highlights how difficult it is to sustain thoughtful, technically grounded policymaking when complex issues collide with political pressure,” the release states.
“This bill was never about scoring political points,” Roberts said. “It was about doing the hard work of understanding how modern systems actually function, and writing laws that reflect that reality. When technology outpaces understanding, good ideas can stall, even when the intent is right.
“We don’t need leaders who have all the answers. We need leaders who are willing to learn, ask the right questions, and engage with complexity instead of avoiding it. The challenges coming from artificial intelligence to data security to advanced manufacturing won’t wait for us to catch up.”
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) told Repairer Driven News that it’s disappointed with the Senate’s vote.
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Featured image: State Capitol Building in Augusta, Maine. (Credit: HABesen/iStock)