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 7, 2008 | NY | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
| May 5, 2008 | KS | HB 2860 | Eminent Domain and Water Rights | Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 57) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 10) |
| May 1, 2008 | AL | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| April 25, 2008 | IA | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| April 24, 2008 | FL | Amdt 28283 | Commuter Trains in Orlando | Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 64) |
| April 23, 2008 | OK | SB 163 | English as the Official Language | Bill Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| April 22, 2008 | MI | SB 1078 | Township Annexation Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20) |
| April 16, 2008 | NH | HR 24 | Impeachment Petition | Resolution Tabled - House (227 - 95) |
| April 15, 2008 | KY | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42) |
| April 15, 2008 | KY | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| April 15, 2008 | LA | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| April 14, 2008 | MO | HJR 49 | Appellate Judicial Commissioners | Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83) |
| April 14, 2008 | ME | LD 2304 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (108 - 29) |
| April 10, 2008 | SC | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 3, 2008 | MO | HJR 41 | Prohibiting Judges from Imposing Taxes | Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 68) |
| April 3, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/07 | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
| 5/05 | HB 2860 | Eminent Domain and Water Rights | Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 57) |
| 5/05 | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30) |
| 5/05 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| 5/02 | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 5/02 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 10) |
| 5/01 | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| 4/25 | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| 4/24 | Amdt 28283 | Commuter Trains in Orlando | Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 64) |
| 4/23 | SB 163 | English as the Official Language | Bill Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| 4/22 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| 4/22 | SB 1078 | Township Annexation Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20) |
| 4/16 | HR 24 | Impeachment Petition | Resolution Tabled - House (227 - 95) |
| 4/15 | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42) |
| 4/15 | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| 4/15 | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| 4/14 | HJR 49 | Appellate Judicial Commissioners | Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83) |
| 4/14 | LD 2304 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (108 - 29) |
| 4/10 | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/03 | HJR 41 | Prohibiting Judges from Imposing Taxes | Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 68) |
| 4/03 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |