An orgy of states' rights legislation draws the scrutiny of East Coast liberal media. Again. ---

This week's cover story, "All Hail Utah," focuses on the many ways in which Utah legislators made their position -- and thus, the official position of the State of Utah -- clear on many issues. It also examines how they took things a step further than most years by passing laws that will push the state into potentially costly lawsuits.

One of the most intriguing things about this year's session, for me, was not the messages they were sending but the attention on a national scale that those messages received. Most years, one or two issues might bubble up to the national level for a day or two, but this year it seemed like at least once a week media outlets from Fox News to The New York Times focused (as opposed to simply noted) on something legislators were doing.

That attention has again shone on the Legislature, with a New York Times article about states' rights that devotes a lot of space in the story to Utah's Patrick Henry Caucus. It also shows how Utah is not acting alone, especially on the Second Amendment issue, where Montana and South Dakota have also enacted similar laws.

For those who live in a cave (or, adversely, actually have a life), here's a refresher on the Patrick Henry Caucus.