Distrusting politicians is a healthy thing, getting so disgusted with them that you give up and don't continue figuring out how to keep them from causing mischief is, ultimately, suicidal. It leads to a loser's lament that usually starts with the word "they".

Bureaucratic philosophy (if you want to call it that) is predicated on creating a system where functionaries have lots of authority to say no, and little to none to say yes. SEMA has taken a pro-active approach by offering model legislation for states to acknowledge that home built cars can be viable, in other words a framework within which "yes" is an answer for hobbyist built cars. The usual bureaucratic approach would be to ban them altogether so nobody has to deal with them. Your choice on which is better for the hobby.