The Wall Street Journal’s Melanie Trotman and Elizabeth Williamson tell us that Mattel and other toy industry giants are scrambling due to a "confusing patchwork of state regulations" absent a national standard for the amount of lead in toys. This national standard is supposed to be issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But the CPSC lacks a quorum to make rules and pending legislation to re-authorize the agency remains stalled in Congress.

Understanding Government will sooner rather than later publish a raucous, roiling account of the CPSC’s tumultuous 35-year history. Until then, keep this is mind: however confusing, any state regulations are not running up against pre-existing CPSC regulations. That’s because the CPSC has spent its lifetime trusting companies like Mattel and retailers like Wal-Mart to police themselves. -MB

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