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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| Aug. 21, 2008 | CA | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | CA | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | CA | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (45 - 32) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | CA | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (52 - 24) |
| Aug. 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| July 30, 2008 | National | HR 1108 | FDA Regulation of Tobacco | Bill Passed - House (326 - 102) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | Peterson Amdt to H 5022 | Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee | Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| July 16, 2008 | National | H Amdt 1114 | Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180) |
| July 9, 2008 | National | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
| July 9, 2008 | National | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
| July 9, 2008 | National | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
| July 9, 2008 | National | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
| July 2, 2008 | NC | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| July 2, 2008 | NC | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| July 1, 2008 | DE | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
| July 1, 2008 | DE | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - House (33 - 7) |
| June 28, 2008 | WV | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/31 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| 8/21 | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 8/20 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 8/20 | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 8/20 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/19 | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 8/13 | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (45 - 32) |
| 8/13 | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (52 - 24) |
| 8/12 | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 8/07 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 7/30 | HR 1108 | FDA Regulation of Tobacco | Bill Passed - House (326 - 102) |
| 7/29 | Peterson Amdt to H 5022 | Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee | Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59) |
| 7/29 | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 7/17 | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| 7/16 | H Amdt 1114 | Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
| 7/09 | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
| 7/09 | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
| 7/02 | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| 7/02 | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| 7/01 | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
| 7/01 | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - House (33 - 7) |
| 6/28 | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |