Aaron Lehman is the fifth generation to run his family farm in central Iowa. He uses six tractors and grows corn, soybeans, oats and hay on 500 acres. He enjoys it because he says the time and money he puts in is used to benefit his farm and family. Still, the 58-year-old can’t repair his own tractors because manufacturers make it difficult for farmers to repair the machines themselves. Federal and state lawmakers across the country have proposed dozens of so-called “right-to-repair” pieces of legislation that would make it easier for individuals to fix cars, phones, wheelchairs, and tractors. While critics of the right-to-repair movement and some industry leaders argue that such bills create environmental risks and allow people to steal intellectual property, supporters say they are needed because corporations have monopolized control over repairs, forcing customers to either pay a large sum to the company or just buy new products. The wave of new legislation, they say, would return more power to the people.
