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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2008 | DE | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| June 16, 2008 | AZ | HB 2485 | Public Sale of Animals | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1388 | Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 12, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| June 11, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15) |
| June 11, 2008 | CT | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - House (82 - 51) |
| June 11, 2008 | CT | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| June 11, 2008 | DE | SB 263 | Greenhouse Gas Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| June 10, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
| June 10, 2008 | LA | SB 807 | Cable Deregulation Bill | Bill Passed - House (94 - 9) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38) |
| June 4, 2008 | NH | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11) |
| June 4, 2008 | NH | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - House (205 - 137) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| June 4, 2008 | MI | HB 5068 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - House (56 - 52) |
| June 4, 2008 | NY | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| May 29, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2076 | Prohibiting E-verify | Bill Passed - House (43 - 31) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1830 | Subprime Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2572 | Nutritional Disclosure Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 15) |
| May 29, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| 6/16 | HB 2485 | Public Sale of Animals | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12) |
| 6/16 | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/16 | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 6/16 | SB 1388 | Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/12 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 6/11 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15) |
| 6/11 | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - House (82 - 51) |
| 6/11 | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 6/11 | SB 263 | Greenhouse Gas Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 6/10 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
| 6/10 | SB 807 | Cable Deregulation Bill | Bill Passed - House (94 - 9) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38) |
| 6/04 | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11) |
| 6/04 | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - House (205 - 137) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| 6/04 | HB 5068 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - House (56 - 52) |
| 6/04 | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| 5/29 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| 5/29 | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/29 | AB 2076 | Prohibiting E-verify | Bill Passed - House (43 - 31) |
| 5/29 | AB 1830 | Subprime Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/29 | AB 2572 | Nutritional Disclosure Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 15) |
| 5/29 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |