Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 31, 2008 | GA | HB 881 | Georgia Charter Schools Commission | Bill Passed - House (119 - 48) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | MS | HB 513 | Funding for K-12 Education and Related Activities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 26) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | NM | HB 2 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 10) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 16 | Change in Township Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | National | HR 5140 | Economic Stimulus Plan | Bill Passed - House (385 - 35) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | National | HR 5140 | Economic Stimulus Plan | Bill Passed - House (385 - 35) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| Jan. 28, 2008 | CO | SB 3 | Medicaid Funded Family Planning | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | CO | SA Mitchell | Prohibiting State Funding of Abortion Providers | Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 20) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | WA | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| Jan. 24, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (93 - 1) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 72 | School Construction Exemption | Amendment Adopted - House (49 - 44) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | IN | SB 18 | Allowing Referendum on Public Construction Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| Jan. 10, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| Jan. 10, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Dec. 19, 2007 | National | HR 3996 | Temporary Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (253 - 154) |
| Dec. 14, 2007 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | MI | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | MI | SB 981 | Mackinac Bridge Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Dec. 12, 2007 | National | HR 4351 | Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act | Bill Passed - House (226 - 193) |
| Dec. 11, 2007 | WI | SB 176 | Compensation for Discharged Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3) |
| Dec. 6, 2007 | National | HR 3996 | Temporary Tax Adjustments Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 48) |
| Dec. 6, 2007 | National | HR 3996 | Temporary Tax Adjustments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 5) |
| Dec. 1, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 42) |
| Dec. 1, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Nov. 29, 2007 | WA | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| Nov. 29, 2007 | WA | HB 2416 | Adjusting the Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| Nov. 29, 2007 | WA | HB 2416 | Adjusting the Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (86 - 8) |
| Nov. 29, 2007 | WA | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| Nov. 28, 2007 | IL | SB 307 | Regional Transportation Authority Funding | Bill Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| Nov. 20, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 33) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 52) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| Nov. 16, 2007 | AK | SCS CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (26 - 13) |
| Nov. 16, 2007 | AK | SCS CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Veto Override Failed - House (277 - 141) |
| Nov. 13, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (103 - 36) |
| Nov. 11, 2007 | AK | AM 8 | Oil and Gas Production Tax Increase | Amendment Adopted - House (26 - 14) |
| Nov. 11, 2007 | AK | AM 1 | Standard Deduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (21 - 19) |
| Nov. 11, 2007 | AK | CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Bill Passed - House (27 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/31 | HB 881 | Georgia Charter Schools Commission | Bill Passed - House (119 - 48) |
| 1/31 | HB 513 | Funding for K-12 Education and Related Activities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 26) |
| 1/31 | HB 2 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 10) |
| 1/29 | SB 16 | Change in Township Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 1/29 | HR 5140 | Economic Stimulus Plan | Bill Passed - House (385 - 35) |
| 1/29 | HR 5140 | Economic Stimulus Plan | Bill Passed - House (385 - 35) |
| 1/29 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| 1/28 | SB 3 | Medicaid Funded Family Planning | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/25 | SA Mitchell | Prohibiting State Funding of Abortion Providers | Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 20) |
| 1/25 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 1/25 | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| 1/24 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (93 - 1) |
| 1/22 | Amnd. 72 | School Construction Exemption | Amendment Adopted - House (49 - 44) |
| 1/22 | SB 18 | Allowing Referendum on Public Construction Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 1/17 | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| 1/17 | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| 1/10 | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| 1/10 | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| 1/07 | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 1/07 | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 12/19 | HR 3996 | Temporary Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| 12/18 | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
| 12/17 | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| 12/17 | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (253 - 154) |
| 12/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| 12/13 | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| 12/13 | SB 981 | Mackinac Bridge Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 12/12 | HR 4351 | Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act | Bill Passed - House (226 - 193) |
| 12/11 | SB 176 | Compensation for Discharged Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3) |
| 12/06 | HR 3996 | Temporary Tax Adjustments Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 48) |
| 12/06 | HR 3996 | Temporary Tax Adjustments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 5) |
| 12/01 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 42) |
| 12/01 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 11/29 | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 11/29 | HB 2416 | Adjusting the Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| 11/29 | HB 2416 | Adjusting the Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (86 - 8) |
| 11/29 | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| 11/28 | SB 307 | Regional Transportation Authority Funding | Bill Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| 11/20 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 11/19 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 33) |
| 11/19 | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 52) |
| 11/19 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| 11/19 | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 11/16 | SCS CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (26 - 13) |
| 11/16 | SCS CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 11/15 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Veto Override Failed - House (277 - 141) |
| 11/13 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (103 - 36) |
| 11/11 | AM 8 | Oil and Gas Production Tax Increase | Amendment Adopted - House (26 - 14) |
| 11/11 | AM 1 | Standard Deduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (21 - 19) |
| 11/11 | CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Bill Passed - House (27 - 13) |