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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2058 | Paper and Plastic Bag Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 33) |
| May 28, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Education Line Item Veto Override | Veto Override Failed - House (60 - 36) |
| May 28, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Education Line Item Veto Override | Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39) |
| May 27, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 4A | Cigarette Tax for Small Business Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (60 - 58) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 3A | Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 7A | To Reduce Income Tax | Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52) |
| May 21, 2008 | NH | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (186 - 128) |
| May 19, 2008 | LA | HB 1312 | Drivers Insurance Increase | Bill Passed - House (57 - 35) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| May 15, 2008 | NH | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | NH | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | MI | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| May 14, 2008 | SC | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| May 14, 2008 | OH | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| May 14, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 46) |
| May 13, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 45) |
| May 8, 2008 | MI | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 8, 2008 | NH | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 48) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 22) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | PA | HB 2297 | Expansion of the Keystone Opportunity Zone | Bill Passed - House (126 - 72) |
| May 7, 2008 | MO | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (138 - 14) |
| May 7, 2008 | NH | SB 312 | Insurance Coverage for Obesity Treatments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 139) |
| May 6, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-1 | Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid | Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 6, 2008 | MA | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| May 6, 2008 | CT | HB 5536 | Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Howes Amendment: Gas Tax Holiday | Amendment Rejected - House (28 - 102) | |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 15) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/28 | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| 5/28 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| 5/28 | AB 2058 | Paper and Plastic Bag Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 33) |
| 5/28 | AB 1 | Education Line Item Veto Override | Veto Override Failed - House (60 - 36) |
| 5/28 | AB 1 | Education Line Item Veto Override | Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39) |
| 5/27 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| 5/27 | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/27 | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| 5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| 5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| 5/21 | H Amdt 4A | Cigarette Tax for Small Business Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (60 - 58) |
| 5/21 | H Amdt 3A | Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51) |
| 5/21 | H Amdt 7A | To Reduce Income Tax | Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52) |
| 5/21 | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (186 - 128) |
| 5/19 | HB 1312 | Drivers Insurance Increase | Bill Passed - House (57 - 35) |
| 5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| 5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 5/15 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| 5/15 | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/15 | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/15 | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| 5/14 | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| 5/14 | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 5/14 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 46) |
| 5/13 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 5/12 | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 45) |
| 5/08 | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/08 | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| 5/07 | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| 5/07 | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| 5/07 | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 48) |
| 5/07 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 22) |
| 5/07 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| 5/07 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| 5/07 | HB 2297 | Expansion of the Keystone Opportunity Zone | Bill Passed - House (126 - 72) |
| 5/07 | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (138 - 14) |
| 5/07 | SB 312 | Insurance Coverage for Obesity Treatments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 139) |
| 5/06 | S Amdt P-1 | Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid | Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 5/06 | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/06 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/06 | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 5/06 | HB 5536 | Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 5/05 | Howes Amendment: Gas Tax Holiday | Amendment Rejected - House (28 - 102) | |
| 5/05 | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 15) |
| 5/05 | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |