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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 22, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| March 22, 2007 | MI | SB 307 | Service Providers Excise Tax Act | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 22) |
| March 22, 2007 | AR | SB 1004 | Beer Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| March 21, 2007 | MD | Amendment 993627/1 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 33) |
| March 20, 2007 | AL | HJR 29 | State Legislature Pay Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 15, 2007 | OR | HB 2707 | Oregon Rainy Day Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 13, 2007 | OK | SB 861 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 5) |
| March 7, 2007 | IA | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 27, 2007 | IN | SB 401 | Legislator Salary Adjustment | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| Feb. 26, 2007 | SD | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 15, 2007 | ND | SB 2397 | Oil Well Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | ND | SB 2347 | In-State Tuition Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 7) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | ND | SB 2032 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 22) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | IA | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | VA | S Sub | Funding for Statewide Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 9, 2007 | UT | HB 148 | Parent Choice in Education Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| Feb. 5, 2007 | NJ | A 1 | Property Tax Relief and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Jan. 22, 2007 | CO | SB 26 | Funding Full-Day Kindergarten | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4707 | Luxury and Fuel Inefficient Automobiles | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4901 | Sales Tax Bill of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| July 8, 2006 | CO | HB 1020 | Business Deductions for Employees Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | S 2007 | 2006-2007 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| July 1, 2006 | PA | HB 2499 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/22 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| 3/22 | SB 307 | Service Providers Excise Tax Act | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 22) |
| 3/22 | SB 1004 | Beer Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 3/21 | Amendment 993627/1 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 33) |
| 3/20 | HJR 29 | State Legislature Pay Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 3/15 | HB 2707 | Oregon Rainy Day Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/13 | SB 861 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 5) |
| 3/07 | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/27 | SB 401 | Legislator Salary Adjustment | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| 2/26 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/15 | SB 2397 | Oil Well Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| 2/14 | SB 2347 | In-State Tuition Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 7) |
| 2/14 | SB 2032 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 22) |
| 2/14 | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 2/14 | S Sub | Funding for Statewide Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 2/09 | HB 148 | Parent Choice in Education Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| 2/05 | A 1 | Property Tax Relief and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 1/22 | SB 26 | Funding Full-Day Kindergarten | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 8/03 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 7/08 | A 4707 | Luxury and Fuel Inefficient Automobiles | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 7/08 | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 7/08 | A 4901 | Sales Tax Bill of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 7/08 | HB 1020 | Business Deductions for Employees Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 7/08 | S 2007 | 2006-2007 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 7/01 | HB 2499 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 21) |