Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 27, 2008 CA AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
May 22, 2008 MS SB 2004 Voter Identification Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
May 21, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
May 21, 2008 LA SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4)
May 20, 2008 National HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
May 19, 2008 AZ SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
May 19, 2008 AZ SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
May 19, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
May 13, 2008 AZ HB 2807 Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws Veto Override Failed - House (30 - 25)
May 13, 2008 MN HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30)
May 13, 2008 MN HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16)
May 13, 2008 LA HB 1357 Harboring of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (77 - 18)
May 13, 2008 LA HB 1358 Transporting Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (70 - 17)
May 13, 2008 LA HB 25 Verification of Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (83 - 11)
May 12, 2008 OK HB 2633 Religious Expression at Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 28)
May 12, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7)
May 12, 2008 AZ SCR 1042 Parameters of Marriage Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25)
May 8, 2008 MI HB 4163 Workplace Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
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 IL HB 4139 Peace Officer Firearms Bill Passed - House (91 - 18)
May 6, 2008 KS HB 2019 Voter Identification Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/27 AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
5/22 SB 2004 Voter Identification Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
5/21 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
5/21 SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4)
5/20 HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
5/19 SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
5/19 SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
5/19 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196)
5/15 SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
5/15 SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
5/13 HB 2807 Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws Veto Override Failed - House (30 - 25)
5/13 HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30)
5/13 HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16)
5/13 HB 1357 Harboring of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (77 - 18)
5/13 HB 1358 Transporting Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (70 - 17)
5/13 HB 25 Verification of Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (83 - 11)
5/12 HB 2633 Religious Expression at Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 28)
5/12 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7)
5/12 SCR 1042 Parameters of Marriage Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25)
5/08 HB 4163 Workplace Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
5/07 Amendment No. 8A Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33)
5/07 HB 4139 Peace Officer Firearms Bill Passed - House (91 - 18)
5/06 HB 2019 Voter Identification Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56)

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