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An Argument For, An Argument Against Mass. Ballot Question One

BOSTON (CBS) - Question 1 on the Massachusetts ballot is called "Right to Repair."

The proposed law would allow the owner of a new or leased vehicle to have access to diagnostic and repair information.

Related: Question 2 Arguments
Related: Question 3 Arguments

Here are arguments on either side:

Art Kinsman is urging a "yes" vote. He's with the Massachusetts Right to Repair Committee, which says it's your car, you paid for it, you should get it fixed where you want.

Listen to Kinsman on WBZ NewsRadio 1030

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"What Question One does is it will reaffirm the law that was passed in July. But in addition to that, it has a more expanded definition of vehicles that are covered under "Right to Repair" bill, meaning you can get all the information necessary to fix that vehicle. The ballot question additionally includes motorcycles, RVs and some bigger trucks.

The law that was passed by the legislature was a first-in-the-nation very important step for freedom of choice for car owners.

It includes all passenger vehicles. So it really did the most good for the most people that we could do at that time with coming to an agreement with automakers and with the legislature.

However, the ballot question was too late to take the question off the ballot... We found without exception people still want to vote for it."

Dan Gage is with Citizens Committee for Safe and Fair Repair, which is asking voters to skip Question 1.

Listen to Gage on WBZ NewsRadio 1030

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"The automakers are urging voters to recognize the issue of right to repair is already law in the state of Massachusetts. And because right to repair is already law, Question One on the ballot is no longer needed.

So if folks are interested in supporting the law that's on the books now, the law that passed in late July at the end of session, they should skip question one on the ballot.

Basically it would put two laws on the books.

So it would basically bring us backward from where we are. We made a lot of progress this past year on the right to repair issue and if we have the ballot pass, we'll have basically two laws on the books. Automakers are going to continue to honor the commitment, honor the word that we gave legislators and we gave the folks on the other side of the issue.

And we're going to continue to press for a 'skip question one' message.
It'd be very easy for us to say "vote no." But we're going to honor our commitments to everyone and continue with our 'skip Question One' message."

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