Scenario:
- create a new workflow state
- create a transition to the new workflow state
- delete the transition to the workflow state
- the workflow state disappears from the editor window
- create a new workflow state with the same name
- create a transition to the new workflow state
- try to transition an object to the new workflow state
- receive error "<new workflow state> is not the unique short name of a workflow step in the relevant workspace"
It appears the original workflow state was orphaned (still existed but unable to access in the workflow editor) when the transition to it was deleted. The only workaround I could find was to delete the workspace and start over again.