A populist consumer movement is rising to end ‘captive’ repair economy

It used to be that if your iPhone or Galaxy was damaged, you were at the mercy of Apple or Samsung to get it fixed as manufacturers snowed customers with a blizzard of unattainable proprietary parts and software diagnostics. But that pain hasn’t been limited to smartphones, and a legal movement challenging who controls the diagnostic and reprogramming tools for anything from phones to automobiles, dishwashers and farm equipment — all of which consumers say have become increasingly difficult to get repaired inexpensively — continues to gain political momentum across the country.

The right-to-repair movement has done something seemingly impossible: brought Republicans and Democrats together, with the movement succeeding with a wave of state laws enacted in recent years and a new push in the U.S. House and Senate. 

Since right-to-repair electronics legislation was passed in 2022 in New York State, the tide has been turning. California, Colorado, Minnesota, Connecticut and Oregon have all passed comprehensive right-to-repair regulations. Washington joined them most recently in May 2025. As of this year, advocates are tracking 57 right-to-repair bills across 22 states. In Maine, the state senate just advanced a bill that would bring the right to repair to electronics in the state. Texas’s new right-to-repair law kicks in on Sept. 1 and covers phones, laptops, and tablets, but excludes medical and farm equipment, and game consoles. 

And in Ohio, polls indicate that fringe GOP candidate Casey Putsch may have no shot against establishment candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in the gubernatorial primary, but his platform includes some populist planks and economic views that tap into American unease with the economy and affordability, including his embrace of right-to-repair legislation. A new CNBC poll shows President Trump earning his lowest marks on the economy of his presidency.

“A forgotten hallmark of the American Dream is to be able to build, create, and repair your own stuff,” said Putsch, an auto enthusiast and builder, who on some other issues is running to the right of Ramaswamy.

While Oregon’s 2024 law was notably the first to restrict “parts pairing” — the practice of requiring replacement components to be matched to devices using proprietary manufacturer software — New York State’s was the first in the nation and the bill “had huge bipartisan appeal,” said Patricia Fahy, a New York State senator who sponsored the landmark legislation.

In New York, Fahy’s aim ended up being surgical: allowing people to get their smartphones fixed. “There has been a rise in independent repair shops and it makes it more affordable. Fixing screens was $250 if you didn’t…