What happened to the much-ballyhooed California Table Saw Safety Act? How could it cruise through the state’s Assembly by a crushing 64-4 vote, pass committee muster to move to the Senate, only to be ignored to its death by California senators?

Not even table saw safety rule opponents call into question whether or not the SawStop works as advertised. The bigger question has been if a government-mandated rule would create a lucrative monopoly for the owner of the device's patents.

California's controversial table saw safety bill will head to the state senate for a vote after being approved 3-2 by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.