This was actually passed using a common Massachusetts strategy to force the hands of the members of the Great and General Court (the legislature). You run a pe

This was actually passed using a common Massachusetts strategy to force the hands of the members of the Great and General Court (the legislature). You run a petition campaign to get a good, but draconian, measure on the ballot. You do this carefully, and gather a solid margin of extra signatures. When you're about 50% there, you schedule a demonstration at the State House. If you can turn out 200-300 people at the State House, it's good. You do a little "What do we want? Open Systems. When do we want them? Now!" chanting, and you talk to the press. You then get people to talk to their reps and state senators, and ask for THEIR signatures (as voters) on the initiative. If they oppose it, they have to look a constituent in the eye and say "no." Then you finish the signature drive, in plenty of time to get the signatures certified by the town clerks. Then, the legislature should be primed to pass good legislation to head off the good ballot bill. In this case (right to repair) the ballot bill passed anyway, because the legislature was distracted (the Speaker was being prosecuted for corruption). That's how we got the law commonly and wrongly known as Romneycare passed. In that case, the legislature did their jobs when forced. It's NEVER a bad thing to have your state senator know who you are.