Maine House Committee Chair Opposes Referendum Question 4

Representative Tiffany Roberts (Dem, District 149) – House Chair of the Maine Legislature’s Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee – announced her opposition to referendum question 4 in a guest column in the Portland Press Herald. If approved, the ballot measure – which Mainers will have an opportunity to vote for or against next month in November – would create a standard third-party remote vehicle data access platform.

Rep. Roberts acknowledges the importance of vehicle data access to independent auto repairers. At the same time, she expresses concern with the cybersecurity vulnerabilities and liability issues this law could generate. The agreement that ASA, SCRS, and automakers signed in July provides a better path forward, she argues. It, “secures consumer choice and gives independent repair shops access to the same diagnostic and repair information as authorized dealers. This agreement addresses many concerns raised by supporters of right to repair without the need for a referendum.”