The Midterms Were a Pretty Good Sign for the Right-to-Repair Movement

Two election outcomes in the US and a local vote in Minnesota have given fresh momentum to the right-to-repair movement. Advocates say its focus on lowering costs and giving people more control over their belongings fits voters’ calls for practical, bipartisan solutions.

Iowa senator-elect Josh Turek and presumptive Minnesota state representative Jake Johnson made repair policies part of their platforms, particularly for farm equipment; Johnson’s race was still uncalled and could go to a recount. St Paul voters also overwhelmingly backed renters’ right to repair. Advocates see reform of Section 1201 of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which criminalises bypassing digital locks, as a key opportunity in the reshuffled Congress.