AUGUSTA — The Maine House on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a bill that seeks to implement the state’s right to repair law.

During House debate on Tuesday, the issue cut across party lines with Democrats and Republicans arguing both sides of the issue.

The veto now heads to the Senate, which is likely to take it up when it reconvenes next week.

In her veto letter, Mills expressed concern that the bill passed by lawmakers last year would hurt independent auto repair shops. 

“I have heard from hundreds of independent repair shop owners asking that I veto this bill, based on significant concerns about the bill’s language that would restrict independent shops from performing even routine maintenance on modern vehicles,” Mills wrote. “I am sympathetic to their concerns.”

Mills noted that there is another bill pending before lawmakers that will “clarify and improve” the citizen initiative approved in 2023 by 84% of voters.

The initiative sought to require car manufacturers to make vehicle diagnostics accessible to third-party repair shops.

In the House, Rep. Ken Fredette (R-Newport) urged colleagues to sustain Mills’ veto. 

“I do know common sense and common sense tells me in rural Maine where we have mom and pop garages, they probably need access to information in order to fix cars,” he said.

But his Republican colleague Rep. Shelley Rudnicki of Fairfield favored an override.

“These vehicles are computers,” she said. “They run on software, they connect to networks and they send and receive data all the time.”

Rep. Marc Malon (D-Biddeford) also voted to override the veto, saying the issue has been lobbied for years and that the voters who approved the measure deserve to see it implemented. 

“Maine consumers need a voice,” he said. “Consumers are tired of anticompetitive practices from all kinds of industry and the auto industry is right up there.”