diff --git a/org_rw/org_rw.py b/org_rw/org_rw.py
index 31b904c..a466d4f 100644
--- a/org_rw/org_rw.py
+++ b/org_rw/org_rw.py
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ class Headline:
         self.priority = priority
         self.title_start = title_start
         self.title = parse_content_block([RawLine(linenum=start_line, line=title)])
-        self._state = state
+        self.state = state
         self.tags_start = tags_start
         self.shallow_tags = tags
         self.contents = contents
@@ -726,42 +726,6 @@ class Headline:
     def id(self, value):
         self.set_property("ID", value)
 
-    @property
-    def state(self) -> HeadlineState:
-        return self._state
-
-    @state.setter
-    def state(self, new_state: Union[None, str, HeadlineState]) -> None:
-        """
-        Update the state of a Headline. If the state is a known one it will update it's TODO/DONE properties.
-
-        Args:
-            new_state (str|HeadlineState): New state, either it's literal value or it's structure.
-        """
-        if new_state is None:
-            self.is_todo = False
-            self.is_done = False
-            # TODO: Check & log if appropriate?
-            self._state = None
-            return
-
-        if isinstance(new_state, str):
-            new_state = HeadlineState(name=new_state)
-
-        state_name = new_state["name"]
-        if state_name in [kw["name"] for kw in self.doc.todo_keywords]:
-            self.is_todo = True
-            self.is_done = False
-            # TODO: Check & log if appropriate?
-        elif state_name in [kw["name"] for kw in self.doc.done_keywords]:
-            self.is_todo = False
-            self.is_done = True
-            # TODO: Check, log &  if appropriate?
-        else:
-            # TODO: Should we raise a warning, raise an exception, update the is_todo/is_done?
-            pass
-        self._state = new_state
-
     @property
     def clock(self):
         times = []
@@ -2414,8 +2378,8 @@ class OrgDoc:
             tags = ":" + ":".join(headline.shallow_tags) + ":"
 
         state = ""
-        if headline._state:
-            state = headline._state["name"] + " "
+        if headline.state:
+            state = headline.state["name"] + " "
 
         raw_title = token_list_to_raw(headline.title.contents)
         tags_padding = ""
diff --git a/tests/test_org.py b/tests/test_org.py
index a1fdff1..f6b6be4 100644
--- a/tests/test_org.py
+++ b/tests/test_org.py
@@ -955,75 +955,6 @@ class TestSerde(unittest.TestCase):
         h1_2_h2 = h1_2.children[0]
         self.assertEqual(sorted(h1_2_h2.tags), ["otherh2tag"])
 
-    def test_update_headline_from_none_to_todo(self):
-        orig = "* First entry"
-        doc = loads(orig)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state, None)
-
-        doc.headlines[0].state = "TODO"
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "TODO")
-
-        self.assertEqual(dumps(doc), "* TODO First entry")
-
-    def test_update_headline_from_none_to_done(self):
-        orig = "* First entry"
-        doc = loads(orig)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state, None)
-
-        doc.headlines[0].state = org_rw.HeadlineState(name="DONE")
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "DONE")
-
-        self.assertEqual(dumps(doc), "* DONE First entry")
-
-    def test_update_headline_from_todo_to_none(self):
-        orig = "* TODO First entry"
-        doc = loads(orig)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "TODO")
-
-        doc.headlines[0].state = None
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state, None)
-
-        self.assertEqual(dumps(doc), "* First entry")
-
-    def test_update_headline_from_todo_to_done(self):
-        orig = "* TODO First entry"
-        doc = loads(orig)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "TODO")
-
-        doc.headlines[0].state = "DONE"
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "DONE")
-        self.assertEqual(dumps(doc), "* DONE First entry")
-
-    def test_update_headline_from_done_to_todo(self):
-        orig = "* DONE First entry"
-        doc = loads(orig)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "DONE")
-
-        doc.headlines[0].state = org_rw.HeadlineState(name="TODO")
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_todo, True)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].is_done, False)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.headlines[0].state["name"], "TODO")
-
-        self.assertEqual(dumps(doc), "* TODO First entry")
-
 
 def print_tree(tree, indentation=0, headline=None):
     for element in tree: