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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2008 | UT | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| March 3, 2008 | MN | Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws | Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67) | |
| March 3, 2008 | MN | Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws | Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67) | |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| March 3, 2008 | NJ | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| March 3, 2008 | MN | HF 3201 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (81 - 51) |
| March 3, 2008 | CO | SB 164 | Increasing Caps on Medical Malpractice Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 3, 2008 | AZ | HB 2359 | County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration | Bill Passed - House (33 - 27) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | KS | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | UT | HB 75 | State Inventory of Government Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | ID | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | MN | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WY | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 770 | Corporate Research and Development Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | UT | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | UT | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | IN | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | KS | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/04 | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| 3/03 | Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws | Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67) | |
| 3/03 | Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws | Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67) | |
| 3/03 | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| 3/03 | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 3/03 | HF 3201 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (81 - 51) |
| 3/03 | SB 164 | Increasing Caps on Medical Malpractice Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 3/03 | HB 2359 | County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration | Bill Passed - House (33 - 27) |
| 2/29 | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| 2/29 | HB 75 | State Inventory of Government Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 2/29 | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 2/28 | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| 2/28 | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| 2/28 | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 2/28 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| 2/28 | AB 770 | Corporate Research and Development Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| 2/28 | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| 2/28 | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| 2/28 | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| 2/28 | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 2/27 | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| 2/27 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/27 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 2/27 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |