[jerf]

As I recently observed [1], there is a lot more of this sort of coordination than people realize. I personally know of about three groups trying to get some cross-state initiatives implemented at the state level, and I'm not even particularly looking for such things.

It is not a coincidence. It means there is some organization out there pushing these. In general, "organization" here applies very broadly; there are some cases where it pretty much is just more-or-less normal people who organize to get something done. I wouldn't expect this particular thing is that for a second, of course. I'm just saying in general the term applies broadly. Someone is organized and trying to push this.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46873297

[vorpalhex]

Can you name the groups? (Assuming they are sufficiently public, corporate/political entities)

[jerf]

The "Sound Money Foundation" is trying to improve the ability to use gold and silver directly as currency at a state level, for example: https://soundmoneyfoundation.org/sound-money-movement-chalks...

There are definitely coordinated efforts to harmonize state gun laws, but I'm not sure exactly who is the central node, if there is one. (Some of it is expansion of rights in a way most of HN would hate, some of it is just harmonization of pointless-for-any-side differences.) The individual states credit different organizations for the specific laws if you look at them. I've seen some of the individual participants talk about their own efforts but not anyone who said there was a central org. There could conceivably not be in this case.

On a more HN-friendly note, the Right to Repair is being pushed at the state level: https://www.repair.org/blog/2025/2/24/ptkkw1yziw8xv7u9iwhooh... (and that site in general, but that seems a good recent overview) I know of that one through some HN posts.

I suspect the organization pushing the age verification is less interested in being public.

A running theme with these people is that while this is certainly a lot of work, it is also in a lot of ways easier than you think to get a lot of states to push a law through than it is to get the Federal government to do it. Whether this is a recruitment pitch that stretches the truth or the actual truth, I'll leave it to you to decide. I don't know enough myself to judge.