diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/line_lists/line_lists.py b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/line_lists/line_lists.py
index d324ea420c..f27b3eaad8 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/line_lists/line_lists.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/line_lists/line_lists.py
@@ -513,10 +513,8 @@ def _list_from_notebook(self, msg):
             list_contents[row["listname"]]["lines"].append(temp_dict)
             tmp_names_rest.append(row["name_rest"])
 
-        self.loaded_lists = []
-        self.loaded_lists = loaded_lists
-        self.list_contents = {}
-        self.list_contents = list_contents
+        self.send_state('loaded_lists')
+        self.send_state('list_contents')
 
         self._viewer.plot_spectral_lines(tmp_names_rest)
         self.update_line_mark_dict()
@@ -654,9 +652,9 @@ def vue_show_all_in_list(self, listname):
         for line in lc[listname]["lines"]:
             line["show"] = True
             self._viewer.spectral_lines.loc[line["name_rest"]]["show"] = True
-        # Trick traitlets into updating
-        self.list_contents = {}
+
         self.list_contents = lc
+        self.send_state('list_contents')
 
         self._viewer.plot_spectral_lines()
         self.update_line_mark_dict()
@@ -665,14 +663,12 @@ def vue_hide_all_in_list(self, listname):
         """
         Toggle all lines in list to be hidden
         """
-        lc = self.list_contents
         name_rests = []
-        for line in lc[listname]["lines"]:
+        for line in self.list_contents[listname]["lines"]:
             line["show"] = False
             name_rests.append(line["name_rest"])
-        # Trick traitlets into updating
-        self.list_contents = {}
-        self.list_contents = lc
+
+        self.send_state('list_contents')
 
         self._viewer.erase_spectral_lines(name_rest=name_rests)
         self.update_line_mark_dict()
@@ -686,14 +682,12 @@ def vue_plot_all_lines(self, event):
                                            sender=self, color="error")
             self.hub.broadcast(warn_message)
             return
-        lc = self.list_contents
-        for listname in lc:
-            for line in lc[listname]["lines"]:
+        for listname in self.list_contents:
+            for line in self.list_contents[listname]["lines"]:
                 line["show"] = True
         self._viewer.spectral_lines["show"] = True
-        # Trick traitlets into updating
-        self.list_contents = {}
-        self.list_contents = lc
+
+        self.send_state('list_contents')
 
         self._viewer.plot_spectral_lines()
         self.update_line_mark_dict()
@@ -707,13 +701,11 @@ def vue_erase_all_lines(self, event):
                                            sender=self, color="error")
             self.hub.broadcast(warn_message)
             return
-        lc = self.list_contents
-        for listname in lc:
-            for line in lc[listname]["lines"]:
+        for listname in self.list_contents:
+            for line in self.list_contents[listname]["lines"]:
                 line["show"] = False
-        # Trick traitlets into updating
-        self.list_contents = {}
-        self.list_contents = lc
+
+        self.send_state('list_contents')
 
         self._viewer.erase_spectral_lines()
         self.update_line_mark_dict()
@@ -798,11 +790,10 @@ def vue_set_color(self, data):
         color = data['color']
         if "listname" in data:
             listname = data["listname"]
-            # force a copy so that the change is picked up by traitlets
-            lc = self.list_contents[listname].copy()
-            lc["color"] = color
 
-            for line in lc["lines"]:
+            self.list_contents[listname]["color"] = color
+
+            for line in self.list_contents[listname]["lines"]:
                 line["colors"] = color
                 # Update the astropy table entry
                 name_rest = line["name_rest"]
@@ -811,7 +802,7 @@ def vue_set_color(self, data):
                 if name_rest in self.line_mark_dict:
                     self.line_mark_dict[name_rest].colors = [color]
 
-            self.list_contents = {**self.list_contents, listname: lc}
+            self.send_state('list_contents')
 
         elif "linename" in data:
             pass
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/model_fitting/model_fitting.py b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/model_fitting/model_fitting.py
index e7ccc53395..66a92c49b3 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/model_fitting/model_fitting.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/model_fitting/model_fitting.py
@@ -241,10 +241,7 @@ def _update_parameters_from_fit(self):
 
             m["parameters"] = temp_params
 
-        # Trick traitlets into updating the displayed values
-        component_models = self.component_models
-        self.component_models = []
-        self.component_models = component_models
+        self.send_state('component_models')
 
     def _update_parameters_from_QM(self):
         """
@@ -283,10 +280,7 @@ def _update_parameters_from_QM(self):
                 temp_params += temp_param
             m["parameters"] = temp_params
 
-        # Trick traitlets into updating the displayed values
-        component_models = self.component_models
-        self.component_models = []
-        self.component_models = component_models
+        self.send_state('component_models')
 
     def _update_initialized_parameters(self):
         # If the user changes a parameter value, we need to change it in the
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/mosviz/plugins/slit_overlay/slit_overlay.py b/jdaviz/configs/mosviz/plugins/slit_overlay/slit_overlay.py
index 400e72a523..3ec0734111 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/mosviz/plugins/slit_overlay/slit_overlay.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/mosviz/plugins/slit_overlay/slit_overlay.py
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ def remove_slit_overlay(self):
             # We need to do the following instead of just removing directly on
             # the marks otherwise traitlets doesn't register a change in the
             # marks.
-            marks = image_figure.marks.copy()
-            marks.remove(self._slit_overlay_mark)
-            image_figure.marks = marks
+            image_figure.marks.remove(self._slit_overlay_mark)
+            image_figure.send_state('marks')
             self._slit_overlay_mark = None