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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6, 2008 | UT | SB 75 | Prohibiting Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 298 | Banning Smoking Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 501 | Restaurant and Bar Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Jan. 24, 2008 | IN | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 24) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | NE | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Oct. 18, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | IL | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| Sept. 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| July 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2351 | Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
| July 17, 2007 | NC | CS SB 563 | Traffic and Personal Safety Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36) |
| July 9, 2007 | KY | SCS SB 5 | Public Employee Health Insurance Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| June 26, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| June 25, 2007 | PA | A 2062 | Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| June 20, 2007 | LA | HB 320 | Extension of Satellite Voting Provisions | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21) |
| June 18, 2007 | OR | SB 571 | Smoking Ban Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| June 18, 2007 | OR | SB 863 | Regulating Automated Phone Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| June 14, 2007 | DE | HB 175 | Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3) |
| June 14, 2007 | MA | S 2220 | Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34) |
| June 7, 2007 | CA | SB 7 | Marco Firebaugh Memorial Childrens Health and Safety Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| June 4, 2007 | CA | SB 1019 | Access to Police Misconduct Investigations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/06 | SB 75 | Prohibiting Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 2/05 | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| 2/05 | SB 298 | Banning Smoking Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 2/05 | SB 501 | Restaurant and Bar Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 1/29 | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 1/24 | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 24) |
| 1/15 | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 10/18 | S Sub for Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 10/03 | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| 9/19 | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 8/30 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 7/19 | S Amdt 2351 | Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 7/17 | CS SB 563 | Traffic and Personal Safety Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 7/16 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36) |
| 7/09 | SCS SB 5 | Public Employee Health Insurance Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| 6/26 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 6/25 | A 2062 | Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 6/20 | HB 320 | Extension of Satellite Voting Provisions | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21) |
| 6/18 | SB 571 | Smoking Ban Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 6/18 | SB 863 | Regulating Automated Phone Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 6/14 | HB 175 | Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3) |
| 6/14 | S 2220 | Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34) |
| 6/07 | SB 7 | Marco Firebaugh Memorial Childrens Health and Safety Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 6/04 | SB 1019 | Access to Police Misconduct Investigations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |