Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
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)

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