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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2008 | DE | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
| June 27, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
| June 27, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| June 25, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
| June 25, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
| June 23, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
| June 18, 2008 | DE | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| June 11, 2008 | LA | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 10, 2008 | LA | SB 672 | Legislative Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| June 4, 2008 | NY | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| June 2, 2008 | PA | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | IL | SB 788 | Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| May 29, 2008 | LA | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 28, 2008 | LA | SB 718 | State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| May 28, 2008 | LA | SB 292 | Public Fishing in Overflow Waters | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| May 27, 2008 | IL | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/01 | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
| 6/27 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
| 6/27 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
| 6/26 | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| 6/26 | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| 6/25 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 6/25 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 6/23 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| 6/23 | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 6/23 | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 6/23 | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
| 6/18 | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| 6/11 | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 6/10 | SB 672 | Legislative Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| 6/04 | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| 6/02 | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 5/29 | SB 788 | Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| 5/29 | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/28 | SB 718 | State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 5/28 | SB 292 | Public Fishing in Overflow Waters | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| 5/28 | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| 5/27 | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |