Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado has signed legislation forcing manufacturers to provide the necessary manuals, tools, parts and software to farmers so they can fix their own machines. Lawmakers in at least 10 other states have introduced similar legislation, including in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont. Polis signed the legislation into law Tuesday after an outcry from farmers that manufacturers forced them to wait precious days for a servicer to arrive when one of their hulking combines or tractors breaks down. Manufacturers and dealerships raised concerns that providing tools and information to farmers would allow equipment owners to illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass emissions controls.
