Farmers, consumers should have the ‘Right to Repair’ products they own (Guest Opinion)
Posted May 05, 2021
Tractors tower over pedestrians at Empire Farm Days at Rodman Lott & Sons Farms, Seneca Falls, NY, Wednesday, Aug 7, 2019. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
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Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, represents the 53rd Senate District in the New York state Legislature.
When a machine breaks down at one of New York’s 35,000 farms, it can mean the difference between a good harvest or a poor one, whether it’s a $400,000 tractor in Wyoming County, or a high-tech $2,000 robotic milking machine at a dairy farm in Madison County or the Hudson Valley.
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Viewpoint: Fair Repair Act will aid consumers, environment
Kevin Thomas
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New Yorkers routinely spend thousands of dollars buying smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices to help us work, play, communicate, and navigate the world in the age of COVID-19.
But these devices eventually break, which can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars to fix or replace. Why? Because big tech companies refuse to release the information that would make it easier and cheaper to fix these devices. This is why we must pass The Digital Fair Repair Act, sponsored by state Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar, and Assembly Member Donna Lupardo, D-Binghamton, and save New York consumers $2.4 billion dollars a year by empowering them to fix broken electronics.
Why Device Repair Could Get Easier in New York PUBLISHED 5:36 AM ET Feb. 03, 2021 PUBLISHED 5:36 AM EST Feb. 03, 2021
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Companies may soon be required to provide New York consumers with diagnostic and repair information while also releasing proprietary parts to local repair businesses and consumers under a bill being considered by state lawmakers.
Supporters of the measure, known as the Digital Fair Repair Act, say it would lead to reduced electronic waste and promote local businesses in the process.
Devices like smartphones and laptops could be repaired by a local repair shop or by the consumer itself. The bill has won support from Republicans and Democrats alike, as well as groups ranging from the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Farm Bureau.