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 27, 2008 | CA | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 3A | Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51) |
| 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 19, 2008 | AZ | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - House (35 - 18) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| 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 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
| 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 | NH | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 15, 2008 | MI | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - House (96 - 36) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/27 | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/27 | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/27 | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| 5/27 | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| 5/27 | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| 5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| 5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| 5/21 | H Amdt 3A | Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51) |
| 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) |
| 5/19 | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - House (35 - 18) |
| 5/15 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/15 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| 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 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
| 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 | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/15 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/15 | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 5/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| 5/13 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - House (96 - 36) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |