Our Picks For The Top Repair Stories of 2022
We dug into our catalog of repair stories from the past year – here's what trends are becoming clear and where to look in 2023 in the fight to repair.
2022: a breakthrough year for the right to repair
The right to repair movement’s main goal has always been to give everyone the right to maintain complete ownership of their property. At the federal level the House introduced an electronics and automotive repair bill and the Senate introduced an agricultural repair bill. Alas, nothing materialized in a vote. That suggests, state-wide laws remain the best option for passing a legal right to repair, with sector-specific laws remaining the primary vehicle for success.1
Looking at the states, there is reason for optimism that 2023 will see progress in the fight for the right to repair. Namely:
New York had a win in 2022, albeit with a major asterisk. Governor Kathy Hochul succeeded in watering down the Digital Fair Repair Act (an electronics right to repair bill) in return for her signature, with major give-aways to TechNet the lobbying organization that works on behalf of major technology firms. By clinging to disproven claims of “cybersecurity risks” and threatening a veto waiting until the very end of the legislative session -signing a deeply amended bill at the 11th hour - she avoided having her veto overridden by strong, bi-partisan majorities in the New York legislature who passed a stronger, more consumer friendly bill.
