From left, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse speak with a group of local farmers and officials about the importance of federal right-to-repair legislation at a roundtable on July 26, 2024, at a farm in Longmont. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)
The head of the Federal Trade Commission joined Colorado officials and farmers for a roundtable focusing on the need for federal right-to-repair legislation Friday in Longmont.
Alongside U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, both Democrats, Lina Khan , chair of the FTC, listened to feedback from farmers about the difficulties they have repairing farming equipment with little access to mechanics and parts as dealers continue to consolidate and limit their options, particularly when machines are still under warranty.
The FTC enforces antitrust and consumer protection laws, which Khan said includes scrutinizing mergers and looking at anti-competitive practices.
“As part of that work, we’ve been scrutinizing illegal repair restrictions, and we’ve heard a lot, including from farmers, about how, as we see more and more products become more digitized, manufacturers have more and more opportunities to restrict how you all can fix your own products,” Khan said.