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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 28, 2008 | IN | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 2 | Permitting Lawsuits for Injuries Caused by Hazardous Substances | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 45) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | GA | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WI | AR 13 | Supporting the Individual's Right to Bear Arms | Resolution Passed - House (78 - 18) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WI | AB 695 | John Doe Proceedings | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | GA | HR 1206 | Reassessing Georgia's Northern Border | Resolution Passed - House (136 - 26) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - House (61 - 60) |
| Feb. 8, 2008 | VA | HB 933 | "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases | Bill Passed - House (77 - 21) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1130 | Removing Wiretap Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (43 - 20) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | WI | SJR 5 | Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 1) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | S 176 | Expanding Damages for Wrongful Death | Bill Passed - House (41 - 32) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | NJ | S 171 | Eliminating the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (44 - 36) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | MI | SB 233 | 2007-2008 State Judiciary Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 7) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| Oct. 4, 2007 | National | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| June 27, 2007 | OH | SB 7 | Eminent Domain Bill | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| June 27, 2007 | OH | SJR 1 | Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment Ballot Bill | Bill Failed - House (56 - 42) |
| June 19, 2007 | RI | H 5127 | Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal | Bill Passed - House (54 - 6) |
| June 15, 2007 | RI | Article 22 of H5300A | Classifying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases | Amendment Adopted - House (48 - 19) |
| June 7, 2007 | IL | HR 25 | State Constitutional Convention Awareness | Resolution Passed - House (48 - 47) |
| June 5, 2007 | LA | HB 313 | Extended Period for Indictments | Bill Passed - House (79 - 25) |
| June 5, 2007 | CT | Sub SB 938 | Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms | Bill Passed - House (94 - 56) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/28 | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 2/26 | Amnd. 2 | Permitting Lawsuits for Injuries Caused by Hazardous Substances | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 45) |
| 2/26 | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| 2/26 | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| 2/26 | AR 13 | Supporting the Individual's Right to Bear Arms | Resolution Passed - House (78 - 18) |
| 2/26 | AB 695 | John Doe Proceedings | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| 2/25 | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| 2/20 | HR 1206 | Reassessing Georgia's Northern Border | Resolution Passed - House (136 - 26) |
| 2/14 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - House (61 - 60) |
| 2/08 | HB 933 | "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases | Bill Passed - House (77 - 21) |
| 2/06 | HB 1130 | Removing Wiretap Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (43 - 20) |
| 1/31 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| 1/15 | SJR 5 | Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 1) |
| 1/07 | S 176 | Expanding Damages for Wrongful Death | Bill Passed - House (41 - 32) |
| 12/13 | S 171 | Eliminating the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (44 - 36) |
| 10/30 | SB 233 | 2007-2008 State Judiciary Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 7) |
| 10/16 | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| 10/04 | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| 6/27 | SB 7 | Eminent Domain Bill | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| 6/27 | SJR 1 | Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment Ballot Bill | Bill Failed - House (56 - 42) |
| 6/19 | H 5127 | Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal | Bill Passed - House (54 - 6) |
| 6/15 | Article 22 of H5300A | Classifying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases | Amendment Adopted - House (48 - 19) |
| 6/07 | HR 25 | State Constitutional Convention Awareness | Resolution Passed - House (48 - 47) |
| 6/05 | HB 313 | Extended Period for Indictments | Bill Passed - House (79 - 25) |
| 6/05 | Sub SB 938 | Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms | Bill Passed - House (94 - 56) |