'Right to Repair' Bill Heard

The third attempt at giving Montana farmers and ranchers the right to repair their agricultural equipment outside of dealerships hit the House Business and Labor Committee last week.

Proponents of House Bill 390 said when manufacturers require that certain repairs only be made by dealers, they leave farmers and ranchers with too few options. But the bill also drew criticism for overstepping in what opponents said could be an easy private-sector solution.

Retired Army Colonel Richard Liebert is a cattle rancher and president of the Montana Cattlemen Association. He drew comparisons from his mil...