Several years ago, Louis Blessings wife asked for his help replacing the battery in her laptop.
An electrical engineer by training, Blessing figured it would be a quick fix.
To me, that is a garbage business practice, Blessing told Grist.
Expanded access to repair has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and pollution.© JT8/Shutterstock
Yes, its legal for them to do it, but that is truly trash.
After the failed battery swap, Blessings wife wound up getting a new computer.
The business practice that led her to do so may not be legal for much longer.
Blessing is a Republican state senator representing Ohios8th Senate district, which includes much of the area surrounding Cincinnati.
That would mark an important political inflection point for the right-to-repair movement.
Expanded access to repair has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and pollution.
A significant fraction of the emissions and air and water pollutants associated with electronic devices occur during manufacturing.
Its good for a business to be able to monopolize repair, Blessing said.
But it is most certainly not pro-free market.
Repair monopolies dont just restrict market competition.
They also limit a persons freedom to do what they want with their property.
The person who drives a motorcycle is a certain bang out of individual, Seitz said.
They love the open road.
And they brought to my attention that they werent allowed to repair their vehicles.
And I couldnt believe it.
The bill died in the Missouri Senate during the last legislative session.
A spokesperson for Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe declined to comment on Seitzs bill.
(A 2014agreementestablishing a nationwide right-to-repair in the auto industry explicitly excluded motorcycles.)
Seitz believes many of his fellow conservatives would be very much in favor of that outcome.
This is a freedom and liberty issue, Seitz added.
In March, Senator Bob Hall introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
Capriglione, who represents part of the Fort Worth area, didnt respond to Grists request for comment.
Elsewhere around the country, lawmakers across the political spectrum are advancing other right-to-repair bills this year.
In April, the Senate passed its version of the bill 48 to 1.
The ability to fix our devices that have already been paid for is something we can all get behind.
Ultimately, the bill itself has to be constitutional.
It has to be up to snuff legally, Gee said.
But its certainly an advantage, the environmental impact that this bill would have.
Blessing, from Ohio, agreed.
Right to repair will absolutely mean less electronics in our landfills, among other things, he told Grist.
I dont want to diminish that at all.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/politics/right-to-repair-ohio-missouri-texas-red-states-republican-conservative/.
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