# Spec: fix-dashboard-read-state

## Problem
`automaton/dashboard/core/task.py:462` (`determine_task_state`) infers task phase purely from artifact files, never reading the `.state` file. This contradicts `prompts/workflow.md` which declares `.state` as the "single source of truth." The dashboard cannot reflect the actual enforced state.

## Fix
Read the `.state` file first in `determine_task_state()`. If `.state` exists, parse the phase and map it to a `TaskState`. Fall back to artifact heuristics only if `.state` doesn't exist (pre-v2.0 tasks).

The phase string in `.state` may include substates like `research:awaiting_approval` — map these to their base phase (`research`).

## Acceptance Criteria
- A task in `implement` phase (per `.state`) shows as `IMPLEMENT` in the dashboard even without IMPLEMENTATION.md
- A task in `test_design` phase shows as `TEST_DESIGN`, not `IMPLEMENT`
- A task without `.state` still uses artifact heuristics (backward compat)
- Existing dashboard tests in `test_task.py` still pass
- Add test verifying `.state` takes precedence over artifacts