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 13, 2008 | OH | HB 314 | Abortion and Ultrasound Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | SB 1521 | Mandatory Clinical Cancer Trial Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | SB 1407 | Restricting Childhood Vaccine Mercury Levels | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| March 12, 2008 | KY | SB 156 | Nuclear Waste Disposal | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 10, 2008 | OK | SB 2118 | Requiring Health Insurance to Cover Autism | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| March 10, 2008 | AZ | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| March 6, 2008 | KS | SB 327 | Expansion of Coal-Fired Power Plants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1025 | Governor's Energy Office | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | OK | SB 2114 | Requiring Health Benefit Plans to Cover Medical Necessities | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 19) |
| March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | WI | SB 523 | Great Lakes Water Resources Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| March 6, 2008 | MO | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| March 6, 2008 | GA | SB 404 | Health Insurance Marketplace | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | MO | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| March 5, 2008 | WA | HB 2815 | Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| March 3, 2008 | CO | SB 164 | Increasing Caps on Medical Malpractice Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 3, 2008 | WY | HB 73 | Increasing DUI Penalties | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | GA | SB 506 | Mandatory School Physical Fitness Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | CO | SB 129 | Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/13 | HB 314 | Abortion and Ultrasound Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 3/12 | SB 1521 | Mandatory Clinical Cancer Trial Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 3/12 | SB 1407 | Restricting Childhood Vaccine Mercury Levels | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 3/12 | SB 156 | Nuclear Waste Disposal | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/10 | SB 2118 | Requiring Health Insurance to Cover Autism | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| 3/10 | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 3/06 | SB 327 | Expansion of Coal-Fired Power Plants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HB 1025 | Governor's Energy Office | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 3/06 | SB 2114 | Requiring Health Benefit Plans to Cover Medical Necessities | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 19) |
| 3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 3/06 | SB 523 | Great Lakes Water Resources Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| 3/06 | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 3/06 | SB 404 | Health Insurance Marketplace | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| 3/06 | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 3/05 | HB 2815 | Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 3/03 | SB 164 | Increasing Caps on Medical Malpractice Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 3/03 | HB 73 | Increasing DUI Penalties | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| 2/29 | SB 506 | Mandatory School Physical Fitness Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| 2/28 | SB 129 | Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 2/28 | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| 2/28 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 2/28 | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |