Why did the price change from $40.00 for both federal and state to $40.00 for each return?

It has always been $40 for each one.  State is a separate additional $40 for Deluxe and above in the online versions.  Always has been.

For any for the paid versions of TTX (Deluxe, Premier, SE) ...the State has always had a separate full purchase charge ...never included in the price of the Federal program.

Only the desktop program includes a free state software set for "most" versions..(but still has a $20-25 e-file fee for the state..except NY)