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 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 3) |
| May 29, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| 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 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 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 22, 2008 | IL | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 7A | To Reduce Income Tax | Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52) |
| 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 19, 2008 | AZ | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - House (35 - 18) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| May 15, 2008 | IL | HB 4758 | Fairgrounds Racetrack Authority | Bill Passed - House (83 - 28) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| May 15, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| May 14, 2008 | AZ | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/29 | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| 5/29 | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 3) |
| 5/29 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
| 5/28 | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| 5/28 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| 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) |
| 5/28 | 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 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| 5/27 | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| 5/22 | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| 5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| 5/21 | H Amdt 7A | To Reduce Income Tax | Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52) |
| 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) |
| 5/19 | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - House (35 - 18) |
| 5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| 5/16 | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
| 5/15 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/15 | HB 4758 | Fairgrounds Racetrack Authority | Bill Passed - House (83 - 28) |
| 5/15 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/15 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| 5/14 | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9) |